discrimination

Meaning

Noun

• Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.
• (sometimes discrimination against) Distinct treatment of an individual or group to their disadvantage; treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality; prejudice; bigotry.
• The quality of being discriminating, acute discernment, specifically in a learning situation; as to show great discrimination in the choice of means.
• That which discriminates; mark of distinction, a characteristic.

Origin

• From Latin discriminatio, the action noun to discrimino.
• Learned Latinism in English use from the 17th century.
• Morphologically discriminate + -ion