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Glite Dictionary
to face discrimination

to face discrimination

2 5.7
Experience unfair treatment because of your race, gender, or religion
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : enfrentar discriminación
  • Spanish-speaking peoples from Texas, New Mexico, and other states in the union have faced discrimination in education and job opportunities.
  • continue to face discrimination
  • women may face discrimination

Every single day I am still facing discrimination.

Examples

  • Although much progress has been made, lesbians and gay men continue to face discrimination in several domains.

    Academic text (2007)

  • One other major concern is that lawbreakers who have paid their debt to society will face discrimination in hiring and housing.

    Academic text (2009)

  • As a matter of fact, I have faced discrimination from one bank based upon my gender.

    Blog text (3)

  • Affirmative action has helped many groups that face discrimination on the job and in other areas.

    Blog text (26)

  • Minorities face discrimination in the workplace, school, and society daily.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that transgender people also face discrimination in housing, healthcare, and education, to name a few areas.

    Blog text (18)

  • Should the information get out, the worker may face discrimination that hampers or kills his or her career.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Women have traditionally faced discrimination in Namibia, and it appears little has changed since independence.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Unfortunately, due to the lack of knowledge about Islamic practices and traditions in the West, many of these women face discrimination in the name of liberation and freedom.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Far too many LGBTQ people still face discrimination, rejection, and violence simply because of who they are.

Synonyms

to face ostracism
vsto face discrimination
8.5

To be left out and avoided by people in your group

refers to unfair or prejudicial treatment based on identity in many settings

Antonyms

acceptance
101 2.9

Willingness to be friendly to people and ideas that are different

Surface Forms

face discrimination infinitive
faced discrimination past
faced discrimination past participle
facing discrimination present participle
faces discrimination third person singular

Morphology

face + discrimination

The meaning is directly compositional: 'face' (to confront or experience) combined with 'discrimination' (unjust treatment) yields 'to experience unfair or prejudicial treatment.' This is a common and predictable verb + noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Face discrimination uses a clear image: to face something is to stand in front of it or meet it, and discrimination is unfair treatment. So, it means 'to experience unfair treatment' because of race, gender, religion, or other personal traits.