Skip to main content
prejudicial

prejudicial

21 7.5
Causing harm to someone's rights, reputation or chances
  • adjective
  • /ˌprɛdʒʊˈdɪʃəl/
  • Formal
translation icon : perjudicial
  • Her prejudicial remarks about the new policy led to a misunderstanding among the staff.
  • prejudicial attitudes
  • prejudicial labeling
  • prejudicial knowledge

And then they go on to teach them some really skewed worldviews that are often dismissive and even prejudicial.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The misleading information had a prejudicial effect on the jury's decision.

  • Four of the six areas pertain to the appropriateness of curricula, teaching methodology, and the prejudicial attitudes of teachers.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Negative developments in the latter could have prejudicial effects on private enterprise as well.

    Academic text (1991)
  • We don't want anything prejudicial to your client.

  • Ask them how they might avoid making prejudicial judgments about others, especially those who might be different from themselves.

    Academic text (1993)
  • It's hard for lawyers to voluntarily hand over documents that are prejudicial to their own case.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Some studies, however, have demonstrated that bisexuals are the targets of prejudicial actions and attitudes.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Thus, it may be that college student-athletes are the victims of both negative stereotypes and prejudicial attitudes.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Sadly, Pea Nieto's words simply reinforce and legitimize the Canadian government's prejudicial posture toward Mexican asylum seekers.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Discriminatory practices in hiring can be prejudicial to minority candidates.

Synonyms

biased
vsprejudicial
91 4.0

Showing unfair favor to one person, group, or side

leads to actual harm or disadvantage beyond mere preference
damaging
vsprejudicial
80 3.1

Likely to cause harm to a person or to their things

harms rights or causes disadvantage by supporting unfair views
detrimental
vsprejudicial
49 6.3

Causing harm to people, things, or the environment

affects rights or interests and implies unfair disadvantage more than general harm
discriminatory
vsprejudicial
  • Offensive
34 6.0

Treating people unfairly because of their race, sex, age, or religion

causes harm to rights or interests rather than only showing unfair views

Antonyms

138 3.4

Making something better or producing a good result

27 3.5

Helping you get a better result

How Harmful

prejudicial
  • Formal
21 7.5
injurious
8 7.0
detrimental
49 6.3
damaging
80 3.1
harmful
161 2.6

Surface Forms

prejudicial positive
prejudicially positive

Morphology

prejudicial = prejudice (transparent) = prejudice + ial

Standard adjective formation from the noun 'prejudice' with the productive suffix '-ial', so the meaning is directly related to 'prejudice'.

Etymology

The word prejudicial comes from pre- 'before' and the same root as judge, so it originally meant a decision made 'before' knowing the facts. That's why something prejudicial is harmful or unfair: it creates an early bias that can hurt a person's rights or chances.