prejudice

UK: /ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs/ US: /ˈprɛdʒədɪs/ ,(prej′ə dis)

Inflections of 'prejudice' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

prejudices

v 3rd person singular

prejudicing

v pres p

prejudiced

v past

prejudiced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2021

prej•u•dice /ˈprɛdʒədɪs/   n., v., -diced, -dic•ing. 
n. 

1. an act or instance of prejudging, esp. against a racial, religious, or national group:
   [uncountable] showing his prejudice against women drivers; prejudice against foreigners.
   [countable] prejudices against black people.
2. such feelings thought of as a group:
   [uncountable] the fight against prejudice.
3. any opinion or feeling held before careful thought:
   [uncountable] prejudice in favor of hiring women.
   [countable] his prejudices against Oriental food.
4. Law damage or injury;
   harm or detriment:
   [uncountable] a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.

v. [~ + object]

5. to affect (someone) with a prejudice:
   Those acts of violence against his friends prejudiced him against anyone who was white. The judge warned against any more remarks aimed at prejudicing the jury.

Idioms

6. Idioms, Law without prejudice, without giving up or losing any rights or privileges of the party concerned.

See -jud-. Synonyms

See bias.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2021

prej•u•dice  (prej′ə dis), n., v., -diced, -dic•ing. 
n. 

1. an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
2. any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
3. unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, esp. of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.
4. such attitudes considered collectively:
   The war against prejudice is never-ending.
5. Lawmaking damage or injury;
   detriment:
   a law that operated to the prejudice of the majority.
6. without prejudice, [Law.] without dismissing, damaging, or otherwise affecting a legal interest or demand.

v.t. 

7. to affect with a prejudice, either favorable or unfavorable:
   His honesty and sincerity prejudiced us in his favor.

• Latin praejūdicium prejudgment, origin, originally preliminary or previous judicial inquiry, equivalent. to prae- pre- + jūdicium legal proceedings, judging ( jūdic-, stem of jūdex judge + -ium -ium)
• Old French
• Middle English 1250–1300

prej′u•diced•ly, adv. 
prej′u•dice•less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 2. preconception, partiality, predilection, predisposition. See bias. 
• 7. bias, influence.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

prejudice /ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs/ n

1. an opinion formed beforehand, esp an unfavourable one based on inadequate facts
2. the act or condition of holding such opinions
3. intolerance of or dislike for people of a specific race, religion, etc
4. disadvantage or injury resulting from prejudice
5. to the prejudice of ⇒ to the detriment of
6. without prejudice ⇒ without dismissing or detracting from an existing right or claim

vb (transitive)

1. to cause to be prejudiced
2. to disadvantage or injure by prejudice

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French préjudice, from Latin praejūdicium a preceding judgment, disadvantage, from prae before + jūdicium trial, sentence, from jūdex a judge