/ dɪˈskrɪmɪneɪt; NAmE / verb
1.
discriminate (between A and B) | discriminate A from B to recognize that there is a difference between people or things; to show a difference between people or things
SYN differentiate , distinguish :
[ v ]
The computer program was unable to discriminate between letters and numbers.
[ vn ]
When do babies learn to discriminate voices?
A number of features discriminate this species from others.
2.
[ v ] discriminate (against sb) | discriminate (in favour of sb) to treat one person or group worse / better than another in an unfair way :
practices that discriminate against women and in favour of men
It is illegal to discriminate on grounds of race, sex or religion.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from Latin discriminat- distinguished between, from the verb discriminare , from discrimen distinction, from the verb discernere , from dis- apart + cernere to separate.