Prejudice is a preconceived, often unfounded judgment or opinion about people, groups, or situations, usually based on insufficient evidence or stereotypes. It can manifest as attitudes, beliefs, or actions that favor or discriminate against others. The term typically refers to bias that is resistant to change, rooted in social or cultural norms rather than objective evaluation.
"Her prejudice against the new colleagues blocked her from seeing their genuine qualities."
"The film addresses how prejudice can persist even when people are confronted with facts."
"Educators work to reduce prejudice by fostering inclusive classrooms and open dialogue."
"Many policies aim to reduce prejudice by promoting equal rights and fair treatment for all."
Prejudice comes from Middle English prejudessen, from Old French prejudice, from Latin praejudicium, which means a “judgment passed beforehand.” Prae- means “before,” and judicium means “judgment.” The term evolved in the late medieval period to describe judgments formed before evidence was considered, often tied to bias or discrimination. Over time, prejudice broadened from a legal or formal pre-judgment to a social-psychological construct describing attitudes and beliefs that unfairly color perception of others. In usage, it typically denotes an unfounded or irrational stance, frequently tied to racism, sexism, or xenophobia, and can be both individual and systemic. In modern English, prejudice remains a stable noun and, less commonly, a verb in advanced discourse (to prejudice someone or something as a verb form). First known written uses appear in the 14th to 15th centuries in legal and moral discussions, but it gained widespread modern usage during the 19th and 20th centuries as social sciences explored biases and discrimination. Its semantic field now encompasses attitudes, stereotypes, and social inequities, while retaining its core sense of judgments made without solid evidence.
💡 Etymology tip: Understanding word origins can help you remember pronunciation patterns and recognize related words in the same language family.
Help others use "Prejudice" correctly by contributing grammar tips, common mistakes, and context guidance.
💡 These words have similar meanings to "Prejudice" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Prejudice" and show contrast in usage.
📚 Vocabulary tip: Learning synonyms and antonyms helps you understand nuanced differences in meaning and improves your word choice in speaking and writing.
Words that rhyme with "Prejudice"
-get sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
🎵 Rhyme tip: Practicing with rhyming words helps you master similar sound patterns and improves your overall pronunciation accuracy.
Use stress on the first syllable: PRE-jeh-diss. IPA: US /ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/, UK /ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/, AU /ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/. Start with a clear /pr/ cluster, then the 'edg' as /dʒ/ like judge, followed by /ə/ (the schwa) in the second syllable and final /dɪs/. Think of saying ‘pr-eh-ju-diss’ with the middle syllable sounding like a soft “-ə-” and the final short “diss.” Audio guidance: match the rhythm to “PRE-ju-diss” with even three syllables and a strong first beat.
Common errors: 1) Mispronouncing the middle /dʒ/ as a plain /j/ (like “pre-ju-diss” instead of /ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/). 2) Reducing the second syllable too much to /ɪ/ or /ɪə/ instead of a clear schwa /ə/. 3) Dropping the final /s/ or making it /z/. Correction: keep /dʒ/ as in judge, use a clean /ə/ in the second syllable, and end with a crisp /s/.
US/UK/AU share /ˈprɛdʒ.ə.dɪs/ but vowel quality can differ: US tends to a slightly tenser /ɛ/; UK often a more centralized /e/ quality; AU vowels may be broader and less diphthongal in some speakers. The final /ɪs/ tends to be crisp in all, though some Australian speakers reduce to more of /ɪz/ in rapid connected speech. The /r/ is not pronounced in non-rhotic varieties when at the end but in US rhotic accents you’ll hear a linking /r/ only in some contexts.
The difficulty lies in the /dʒ/ cluster after the initial /pr/ and the sequence /ə.dɪs/. The /dʒ/ is a palatal affricate that sits between /d/ and /ʒ/, requiring a precise tongue position that many learners oversimplify as /dj/ or /j/. Also, the weak second syllable /ə/ must be a neutral vowel, not a full vowel, and the final /s/ should be a voiceless sibilant, not a buzzing /z/.
A unique, searchable aspect is its initial strong stress followed by a reduced second syllable, and the presence of the /dʒ/ sound right after the initial consonant cluster. People often search for ‘how to say prejudice’ with emphasis on PRE-, or ‘prej-uh-diss’ in phonetic spelling. Including variants like ‘prej-uh-diss’ in content headers helps capture both phonetic spellings and IPA references.
🗣️ Voice search tip: These questions are optimized for voice search. Try asking your voice assistant any of these questions about "Prejudice"!
No related words found
