Agency Dictionary

Prejudice

nounPronunciation: /ˈpredʒ.ə.dɪs/

What does “Prejudice” mean?

A preconceived opinion or unfavorable judgment that is not based on actual reason, knowledge, or direct experience, often directed against particular groups, ideas, or practices.

Etymology

From Middle English prejudice, from Old French prejudice, from Latin praeiūdicium (previous judgment or damage), from prae- (before) and iūdicium (judgment), which is from iūdex (a judge). The word originally referred to any preliminary assessment before a matter was decided.

Usage note

Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is the action that may follow from it. Stereotype is an oversimplified belief about a group; prejudice is the unfavorable evaluation based on such a belief.

Synonyms

bias
partiality
intolerance
bigotry

Often confused with

bias: Bias is a systematic skewing of judgment in a particular direction, which may be unconscious; prejudice is an unfavorable attitude toward a group formed before evidence.

Word family

prejudiced
prejudicial
prejudicially
unprejudiced

Usage examples

It is a topic of ongoing debate because there is a lot of stigma and prejudice: some say it is not artistic, real or human.

Concept

Algorithmic BiasAlgorithmic bias refers to systematic and repeatable computational errors in computer software and artificial intelligence models that generate unfair outcomes, such as…

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Creative.10 - PunkGPTAugust 14, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

vocationnoun: A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
Synchronicitynoun: The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related yet lack a direct causal connection.
Resiliencenoun: The capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, tough conditions, or shock.
Stigmanoun: A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
clevernessnoun: The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.
collective consciousnessnoun: The set of beliefs, ideas and feelings shared by the members of a society, which exists beyond any single person. By extension, what a community knows and repeats in common.
Abyssnoun: A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
Adversitynoun: A state of severe hardship, difficulty, or misfortune that tests resilience and moral endurance.
Affectnoun: An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
Agoranoun: A public open space in ancient Greek cities used for assemblies, commercial markets, and philosophical dialogue.
Allegiancenoun: Loyalty, commitment, or devoted obligation felt by an individual toward a nation, cause, sovereign, or athletic club. It creates emotional cohesion and enduring solidarity across social communities.
Anesthetizeverb: To administer an anesthetic to eliminate physical feeling, or figuratively to numb emotional or critical awareness.

Also from these editions: terms

Assistantnoun: A person or computational software program that provides aid, support, or automated services to facilitate work and handle routine tasks.
Databasenoun: A structured, organized collection of digitized data stored electronically in a computer system and accessible through various retrieval and querying mechanisms.
Failurenoun: The state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, performance standard, or operational expectation.
Fictionnoun: Literature in the form of prose, especially novels and short stories, that describes imaginary events, characters, and scenarios not strictly based on historical facts.
Generativeadjective: Having the power, capability, or functional property of originating, producing, generating, or synthesizing new content, information, or biological life.
Interviewnoun: A structured conversation where one participant asks questions and the other provides answers, conducted for journalistic publication, academic research, or employment assessment.
Ironynoun: The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Also, a state of affairs that is contrary to what one expects.
Patronnoun: A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, cause, or activity, especially in the arts, literature, and intellectual scholarship.
Poemnoun: A piece of writing that partakes of the nature of both speech and song that is nearly always rhythmical, usually metaphorical, and often exhibits formal elements such as meter and rhyme.
Robotnoun: A machine, especially one programmable by a computer, capable of carrying out a complex series of physical actions or automated computational operations autonomously or semi-autonomously.
Talentnoun: Natural aptitude, exceptional skill, or superior innate capacity for a specific craft, artistic expression, intellectual inquiry, or physical performance.