Discrimination is unfair treatment of people based on characteristics like race, gender, age, or disability instead of their individual actions. In a neutral sense, it can also mean the ability to notice small differences between things.
From Latin 'discriminatio' meaning 'separation, distinction', from 'discriminare' meaning 'to divide, distinguish'. The word originally described mental sharpness in telling things apart before taking on a strong social and legal meaning.
Try Another Word