prejudice Meaning, Definition & Usage

Prej"u*dice noun

Etymology

F. préjudice, L. praejudicium; prae before + judicium judgment. See Prejudicate, Judicial.

Definitions

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. Shak.

   Syn. -- Prejudgment; prepossession; bias; harm; hurt; damage; detriment; mischief; disadvantage.

Prej"u*dice transitive verb

Etymology

Cf. F. préjudicier. See Prejudice, n.

Wordforms

imperfect & past participle Prejudiced ; present participle & verbal noun Prejudicing

Definitions

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