discriminatory

adjective

dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry di-ˈskri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˈskrim-nə-
Synonyms of discriminatorynext
1
: discriminative sense 1
2
: applying or favoring discrimination in treatment
discriminatorily
di-ˌskri-mə-nə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˌskrim-nə-
adverb

Synonyms of discriminatory

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of discriminatory in a Sentence

The law prohibits discriminatory hiring practices. a company that was fined for its discriminatory practices in the hiring of women
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While there is certainly a problem with the ubiquity of politicians and business leaders of advanced age, Moyn misrepresents older people and offers solutions that are discriminatory against them. — Peter Gosselin, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Since the 1960s on the West Side, and before that on the South Side, development has been stymied by segregation and discriminatory lending measures. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 The World Cup regulation is intended to deter players from concealing potentially abusive or discriminatory remarks from match officials and television cameras. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 24 June 2026 That includes the 2013 Supreme Court decision that allowed states and counties with a history of discriminatory voting rules to make changes without prior approval from the Department of Justice. — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for discriminatory

Word History

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of discriminatory was in 1745

Rhymes for discriminatory

See All Rhymes for discriminatory

Browse Nearby Words

discriminatorily
discriminatory
discrown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Discriminatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discriminatory. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkrim-(ə-)nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
: showing discrimination : being unfair
discriminatory treatment

Legal Definition

discriminatory

adjective
dis·​crim·​i·​na·​to·​ry dis-ˈkri-mə-nə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
1
: applying discrimination in treatment
2
: having unlawful discrimination as an effect
discriminatorily
-ˌkri-mə-nə-ˈtōr-ə-lē How to pronounce discriminatory (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on discriminatory

Nglish: Translation of discriminatory for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All