DISCRIMINATORY Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

discriminatory

adjective

di-ˈskri-mə-nə-ˌtȯr-ē

Definition of discriminatory

as in unfair

favoring, applying, or being unequal treatment of different classes of people a company that was fined for its discriminatory practices in the hiring of women

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of discriminatory The decision weakened the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racially discriminatory redistricting. — Simeon Gates, ABC News, 25 June 2026 The Court reaffirmed that position in a subsequent case dealing with Alabama, after a lower court had found ample evidence of deliberate racial discrimination, as opposed to the discriminatory effect of the Louisiana map. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 No matter that in 1982, Congress, seeking to reverse an earlier Supreme Court ruling that limited Section 2, made clear that it was supposed to cover practices that had a discriminatory effect, whatever their intent. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 The committee said in the report that Coupang has been the target of discriminatory pressure from the South Korean government that intensified in 2025 after a data breach perpetrated by a disgruntled former employee. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for discriminatory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discriminatory

Adjective

And it all might be taken away by absurd, unfair officiating.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Mora has accused the company of unfair and fraudulent business practices.

— Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of unfair

Adjective

That doesn’t mean Balogun didn’t think the red card was unjust.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
The laws might prevent what some people believe is morally right, or command – in the name of protecting others’ rights or the common good – what others regard as unjust or unholy.

— Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026

Definition of unjust

Adjective

Noting the use of generative and discriminative AI pairs, Rus also compares a generative process - writing a book - to the traditional human way that this is done.

— John Werner, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
In 2019, the Chinese government issued a directive banning a wide range of discriminative measures against women in the hiring process, including asking women about their marital and childbearing status.

— Jessie Yeung and Nectar Gan, CNN, 5 June 2021

Definition of discriminative

Browse Nearby Words

discriminative

discriminatory

discursive

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“Discriminatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discriminatory. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of discriminatory

adjective

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