prejudice 1 of 2

prejudice

2 of 2

verb

as in to bias
to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge all the bad stories I had heard about the incoming CEO prejudiced me against him even before the first meeting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun prejudice contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prejudice are bias, predilection, and prepossession. While all these words mean "an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something," prejudice usually implies an unfavorable prepossession and connotes a feeling rooted in suspicion, fear, or intolerance.

a mindless prejudice against the unfamiliar

When would bias be a good substitute for prejudice?

The synonyms bias and prejudice are sometimes interchangeable, but bias implies an unreasoned and unfair distortion of judgment in favor of or against a person or thing.

a strong bias toward the plaintiff

When is predilection a more appropriate choice than prejudice?

The words predilection and prejudice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience.

a predilection for travel

In what contexts can prepossession take the place of prejudice?

The meanings of prepossession and prejudice largely overlap; however, prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

a prepossession against technology

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prejudice
Noun
Smith also formally dropped charges against Trump in both of his federal cases two months ago, dismissing them without prejudice and citing Justice Department policy barring the prosecution of a sitting president. Tara Suter, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025 The prejudice would be that Big Sandy would take a priority lien interest over the rights of these other creditors without those creditors being given notice and an opportunity to be heard. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
At Smith’s advice, Garland committed to not releasing the volume of the report dealing with the Mar-a-Lago documents probe to avoid prejudicing a future jury. Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025 That's because two other men were charged with Trump in the classified documents case and the Justice Department does not want to prejudice the case against them. Sean O'Driscoll, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prejudice 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prejudice
Noun
  • This includes verifying that vendors provide documentation such as performance metrics, bias mitigation measures, and training data details.
    Alonzo Martinez, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The reviewers rated these associations as low certainty, though, after noting that there was some concern for risk of bias in the studies.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In his remarks, Biden praised Till-Mobley for her courage in ensuring the world would see racism's horrors in her son's maimed body.
    Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023
  • But as has often been the case in U.S. history, there are sharp disagreement over racism's persistence and what role the government should have in addressing those issues.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 17 June 2023
Verb
  • Best Samsonite Deals Samsonite turns 115 years old this March, and since its founding, the brand has been a pioneer for durable, long-lasting luggage.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Things turn south after a wealthy family led by prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) commissions him for a job.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • They were born and raised in the South during segregation.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The company has identified a material weakness in its internal controls over financial reporting, specifically inadequate segregation of duties.
    Quartz Bot, Quartz, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near prejudice

Cite this Entry

“Prejudice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prejudice. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prejudice

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