prejudice

/ˈpre-jə-dəs/

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praejudicium previous judgment, damage, from prae- + judicium judgment

noun

  1. an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics

  2. an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge

  3. preconceived judgment or opinion

predilection prepossession prejudice bias mean an attitude of mind that predisposes one to favor something. predilection implies a strong liking deriving from one's temperament or experience. prepossession suggests a fixed conception likely to preclude objective judgment of anything counter to it.

verb

  1. to cause to have prejudice

  2. to injure or damage by some judgment or action (as in a case of law)