The everyday prejudice meaning is an opinion, usually unfair and negative, that someone forms before they have real knowledge or experience. It most often refers to dislike of people because of their race, religion, gender, caste, age or another group they belong to.
The word has a second life in law and formal English, where prejudice means harm to someone's rights or interests. That is why you see phrases like "without prejudice" on letters and "dismissed with prejudice" in court news. Both uses share one idea: a judgement made, or damage done, too early.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A prejudgement, usually unfair; in law, harm to a rightPart of speech
Noun (countable and uncountable); verbPronunciation
PREJ-uh-disWord forms
prejudiced (adjective), prejudicial (adjective), prejudices, prejudicingOrigin
Latin praejudicium, a judgement in advance, via Old FrenchOpposite
Open-mindedness, fairness, impartialityRegister
Neutral; legal sense is formal
Prejudice meaning and definition: the main senses
- An unfair opinion about a group. "Prejudice against older workers is common in some industries." This is the most frequent use.
- Any opinion formed without good reason. "I had a prejudice against spicy food until I actually tried it." Here it can be light and harmless.
- Harm or disadvantage (formal, legal). "The delay caused no prejudice to the defendant."
- As a verb, to influence unfairly or to harm. "Pre-trial publicity may prejudice the jury." or "Signing now could prejudice your claim."
Prejudice in sentences
- The report found clear prejudice in how loans were approved in some neighbourhoods.
- Try to read the proposal without prejudice and judge it on its merits.
- He admitted his prejudices about city people faded after a year working in town.
- The lawyer argued that showing the photo would prejudice the jury.
- Many campaigns aim to reduce prejudice towards people with mental illness.
Prejudice, bias, stereotype and discrimination
These words are close but not the same. A simple way to separate them:
| Word | What it is | Quick example |
|---|---|---|
| Stereotype | A fixed, oversimplified belief about a group | "All engineers are bad at small talk." |
| Prejudice | An attitude or feeling, often hostile, based on that belief | Feeling uneasy around a group without reason |
| Bias | A leaning for or against something, conscious or not | Always preferring candidates from your own college |
| Discrimination | Unfair action or treatment | Turning down a tenant because of their faith |
Put briefly: a stereotype is a thought, prejudice is a feeling or attitude, and discrimination is a deed. Racism combines prejudice about race with the power to act on it, in many definitions.
Legal phrases with prejudice
- Without prejudice: written on letters or emails in settlement talks, especially in the UK, India and other common law countries. It signals that the offer cannot normally be used later as evidence of admitting fault.
- Dismissed with prejudice: a US court term meaning the case is closed for good and cannot be filed again.
- Dismissed without prejudice: the case is ended for now, but it may be brought again.
- Prejudicial: evidence that may unfairly sway a decision more than it helps prove anything.
- Without prejudice to: in contracts and statutes, "this does not limit or affect" another right or rule.
Origin of the word
Prejudice reached English from Old French in the Middle Ages. Its source is Latin praejudicium, from prae (before) and judicium (judgement). So what is the definition of prejudice at its root? Literally, "a judgement given beforehand". The legal sense of harm or damage is also old, and that is why both meanings still sit side by side.
Prejudiced or prejudicial, and other slips
Prejudiced describes a person or attitude: "a prejudiced remark". Prejudicial describes something that causes harm or unfairness, mostly in law: "prejudicial evidence". You would not call a person prejudicial.
Use against for negative prejudice and in favour of for positive: "prejudice against immigrants", "a prejudice in favour of local suppliers". The spelling ends in -ice, not -ise. More words on fairness and public life are in the law and society hub.
Frequently asked questions
How would you define prejudice in simple words?
The plain meaning of prejudice is deciding what you think about someone or something before you know the facts. It usually means an unfair dislike of a whole group of people.
Is prejudice always negative?
Mostly, yes. It can technically be a favourable prejudgement, such as a prejudice in favour of your hometown team, but in everyday speech it nearly always suggests unfairness.
What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?
Prejudice is an attitude or feeling inside a person. Discrimination is what happens when that attitude turns into unfair treatment, such as refusing a job or service.
Can prejudice be a verb?
Yes. To prejudice something means to influence it unfairly or to harm it, as in "the comment could prejudice the jury" or "this will not prejudice your rights".
What does without prejudice mean on a letter?
It usually means the letter is part of settlement talks and should not be used against the sender in court as an admission. Rules differ by country, so a lawyer should confirm how it works in a given case.
How do you pronounce prejudice?
Say PREJ-uh-dis, putting the weight on PREJ. The final part sounds like "dis", not "dice".