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Webster 1913 Edition

Prejudice

Prej′u-dice

,
Noun.
[F.
préjudice
, L.
praejudicium
;
prae
before +
judicium
judgment. See
Prejudicate
,
Judicial
.]
1.
Foresight.
[Obs.]
Naught might hinder his quick
prejudize
.
Spenser.
2.
An opinion or judgment formed without due examination; prejudgment; a leaning toward one side of a question from other considerations than those belonging to it; an unreasonable predilection for, or objection against, anything; especially, an opinion or leaning adverse to anything, without just grounds, or before sufficient knowledge.
Though often misled by
prejudice
and passion, he was emphatically an honest man.
Macaulay.
3.
(Law)
A bias on the part of judge, juror, or witness which interferes with fairness of judgment.
4.
Mischief; hurt; damage; injury; detriment.
Locke.
England and France might, through their amity,
Breed him some
prejudice
.
Shakespeare
Syn. – Prejudgment; prepossession; bias; harm; hurt; damage; detriment; mischief; disadvantage.

Prej′u-dice

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Prejudiced
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Prejudicing
.]
[Cf. F.
préjudicier
. See
Prejudice
,
Noun.
]
1.
To cause to have prejudice; to prepossess with opinions formed without due knowledge or examination; to bias the mind of, by hasty and incorrect notions; to give an unreasonable bent to, as to one side or the other of a cause;
as, to
prejudice
a critic or a juryman
.
Suffer not any beloved study to
prejudice
your mind so far as to despise all other learning.
I. Watts
2.
To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or by previous bias of the mind; hence, generally, to hurt; to damage; to injure; to impair;
as, to
prejudice
a good cause
.
Seek how may
prejudice
the foe.
Shak

Webster 1828 Edition

Prejudice

PREJ'UDICE

,
Noun.
[L. prejudicium; proe and judico.]
1.
Prejudgment; an opinion or decision of mind, formed without due examination of the facts or arguments which are necessary to a just and impartial determination. It is used in a good or bad sense. Innumerable are the prejudices of education; we are accustomed to believe what we are taught, and to receive opinions from others without examining the grounds by which they can be supported. A man has strong prejudices in favor of his country or his party, or the church in which he has been educated; and often our prejudices are unreasonable. A judge should disabuse himself of prejudice in favor of either party in a suit.
My comfort is that their manifest prejudice to my cause will render their judgment of less authority.
2.
A previous bent or bias of mind for or against any person or thing; prepossession.
There is an unaccountable prejudice to projectors of all kinds.
3.
Mischief; hurt; damage; injury. Violent factions are a prejudice to the authority of the sovereign.
How plain this abuse is, and what prejudice it does to the understanding of the sacred Scriptures.
[This is a sense of the word too well established to be condemned.]

PREJ'UDICE

,
Verb.
T.
To prepossess with unexamined opinions, or opinions formed without due knowledge of the facts and circumstances attending the question; to bias the mind by hasty and incorrect notions, and give it an unreasonable bent to one side or other of a cause.
Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning.
1.
To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or an undue previous bias of the mind; or to hurt; to damage; to diminish; to impair; in a very general sense. The advocate who attempts to prove too much, may prejudice his cause.
I am not to prejudice the cause of my fellow poets, though I abandon my own defense.

Definition 2024

prejudice

prejudice

See also: préjudice

English

Alternative forms

Noun

prejudice ‎(countable and uncountable, plural prejudices)

  1. (countable) An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge of the facts.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Macaulay
      Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically an honest man.
  2. (countable) Any preconceived opinion or feeling, whether positive or negative.
  3. (countable) An irrational hostile attitude, fear or hatred towards a particular group, race or religion.
    I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally.
  4. (obsolete) Knowledge formed in advance; foresight, presaging.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.ix:
      the first did in the forepart sit, / That nought mote hinder his quicke preiudize: / He had a sharpe foresight, and working wit […]
  5. (obsolete) Mischief; hurt; damage; injury; detriment.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Locke to this entry?)
    • (Can we date this quote?) Shakespeare
      England and France might, through their amity, / Breed him some prejudice.

Translations

Derived terms

  • (law) without prejudice – without affecting a legal interest
  • in prejudice of – to the detriment or injury of
  • to the prejudice of – with resulting harm to

Verb

prejudice ‎(third-person singular simple present prejudices, present participle prejudicing, simple past and past participle prejudiced)

  1. (transitive) To have a negative impact on someone's position, chances etc.
  2. (transitive) To cause prejudice.

Translations

Related terms

See also

Old French

Noun

prejudice f ‎(oblique plural prejudices, nominative singular prejudice, nominative plural prejudices)

  1. (chiefly law) harm; damage
  2. (chiefly law) prejudgment; prejudice

Etymology

From Old French prejudice, from Latin praeiūdicium ‎(“previous judgment or damage”), from prae- ‎(“before”) + iūdicium ‎(“judgment”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɹɛd͡ʒədɪs/

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