Spanish word

discriminar

Pronunciation

IPA/diskɾimiˈnaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbdiscriminate against

Example

No debemos discriminar a nadie por su raza.

We must not discriminate against anyone because of their race.

Illustration for discriminar (discriminate against)

More examples

No está permitido discriminar por edad al contratar.

It is not permitted to discriminate on the basis of age when hiring.

Core concept

Treating someone worse in opportunities or services because of race, sex, religion, or another personal feature.

Common phrases

  • discriminar por sexo

    discriminate on the basis of sex

  • discriminar por edad

    discriminate on the basis of age

  • discriminar en la contratación

    discriminate in hiring

Similar words

prejuzgar: Decide someone's character or actions before learning the facts.
excluir: Leave someone out of a group or event so they cannot take part.
marginalizar: Relegate someone to society's periphery so they lack influence and participation.
segregar: Enforce or maintain separate treatment of groups by institutional or customary rules.

Definition in Spanish

Tratar a una persona o a un grupo de forma injusta o desfavorable por una característica personal como la raza, el sexo o la religión, implicando prejuicio.

Word origin

The verb derives from Latin discrimināre (dis- 'apart' + cernere 'to separate'), literally 'to set apart', and now refers to excluding or disadvantaging people on the basis of traits.

Usage tips

  • Grammatically, discriminar commonly appears as discriminar a alguien por + reason, for example 'discriminar a alguien por su raza', where the person is a direct object and the motive follows por.

Other meanings

  • distinguishverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word