discriminationn.
/dᵻˌskrɪmᵻˈneɪʃn/, U.S. /dᵻˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən/ I. Senses relating to the action of making a distinction.† 3. The fact or condition of being differentiated. Obsolete.
1.
a. The action of perceiving, noting, or making a distinction between things. Also: an instance of this, a distinction made or perceived.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > discernment, discrimination > [noun] > action of
distinctiona1340
division?c1425
decerninga1535
dignotion1578
differencing1598
discern1599
discernment1615
discrimination1621
refinement1712
differentiation1872
distinguishing1882
differentiating1887
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > discernment, discrimination > [noun] > instance of
differencea1382
discretivec1487
discrimination1621
discriminance1642
sizeism1971
1621 W. Loe Vox Clamantis 63 Iudgement signifieth discrimination, or difference, and that must be left vntill the generall audit [i.e. the Last Judgement]. I will not take vpon me to iudge before the time.
1649 Εἰκων Βασιλικη xxvii. 236 Take heed of abetting any Factions, or applying to any publick Discriminations in matters of Religion, contrary to what is in your Judgement, and the Church well setled.
1678 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Discrimination, a putting a difference between one thing and another. In Rhetorick it is the same figure with Paradiastole.
1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. Epist. & Gospels I. 24 A perfect Discrimination shall then be made between the Good and Bad.
1754 Ld. Chesterfield in World 28 Nov. 601 The time for discrimination seems now to have come. Toleration, adoption and naturalization [of words] have run their lengths.
1864 F. C. Bowen Treat. Logic i. 4 A conscious discrimination of those respects in which it is similar to others from those in which it is unlike them.
1889 Spectator 9 Nov. 631/1 Life is a constant series of discriminations between what it is well to attempt and what it is not well to attempt.
1914 J. Patrick Clement of Alexandria ii. 62 What teacher, in his discrimination of what is relatively important or unimportant, is not influenced by his own intellectual or spiritual history?
2006 Dogs Monthly July 37/2 I have no problem with competitive obedience, I love training my dogs in scent discrimination.
b. Psychology. In a learning situation: the identification of a particular stimulus among others of a similar kind. See also Compounds 1a.
ΚΠ
1880 Pop. Sci. Monthly Oct. 758 Before the sound can be repeated by him, therefore, a distinct act of discrimination is required, and the time taken is longer.
1948 E. R. Hilgard Theories of Learning v. 130 Skinner believes that his arrangement for obtaining discrimination is superior to that usually used.
1953 C. E. Osgood Method & Theory Exper. Psychol. iii. viii. 352 What is it in behavior that enters to check this overboard generalization of response? The process is called discrimination.
1963 J. H. Flavell Devel. Psychol. J. Piaget ii. 56 Discrimination is the complement of generalization, as students of learning have long known.
1967 E. D. Neimark & W. K. Estes Stimulus Sampling Theory iv. 431 Any comprehensive account of learning must provide an adequate account of stimulus generalization and discrimination.
2009 J. W. Kalat Biol. Psychol. xiii. 376 Maze learning and visual discrimination learning are complex tasks.
2. Something that enables a distinction to be made; a distinguishing mark, characteristic, or attribute; a difference. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > [noun]
tokenc1000
distinctionc1374
differencea1398
signeta1425
knowledge?c1475
smell?a1505
markc1522
badge1529
note1583
impress1590
monument1590
type1595
stamp1600
pressure1604
mintage1612
criterion1613
impressa1628
differencer1633
lineament1638
mole1644
discrimination1646
tessera1647
diagnostic1651
monumental1657
discretive1660
signate1662
footmark1666
trait1752
memorandum1766
fingerprint1792
insignia1796
identifier1807
designative1824
cachet1840
differentiator1854
tanga1867
trademark1869
signature1873
totem1875
differential1883
earmarkings1888
paw print1894
discriminator1943
ident1952
the world > existence and causation > existence > intrinsicality or inherence > [noun] > a characteristic
privilegec1225
distinctionc1374
propertyc1390
tachea1400
pointa1425
specialty?a1425
difference?c1425
conditionc1460
markc1522
touch1528
specialty1532
differentia1551
character?1569
formality1570
particularity1585
peculiar1589
accent1591
appropriation1600
characterism1603
peculiarity1606
resemblance1622
propera1626
speciality1625
specificationa1631
appropriament1633
characteristic1646
discrimination1646
diagnostic1651
characteristical1660
stroke1666
talent1670
physiognomya1680
oddity1713
distinctive1816
spécialité1836
trait1864
flavour1866
middle name1905
discriminant1920
discriminator1943
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xxiii. 166 [These] are discriminations very materiall, and plainly declare, that under the same name Authors describe not the same animall. View more context for this quotation
a1662 P. Heylyn Aerius Redivivus (1670) 116 Not that she meant to use it [sc. an oath] for a discrimination, by which she might discover how they stood affected to his Majesties Service.
1722 E. Maynard Serm. preach'd before Univ. Oxf. I. 314 Corporeal Shapes, with the Discriminations of Age and Sex.
1759 S. Johnson Prince of Abissinia II. xxviii. 19 Where we see..the whole at once we readily note the discriminations.
1873 Furnit. Gaz. 10 May 67/3 The light edge on one side, and the shadow on the other, sufficiently mark the discrimination, and prevent all harshness of contrast.
1914 W. Hilton Driving Power of Thought vi. 108 In any type of work requiring a focusing of the attention upon a minute operation so as to note nice discriminations and detect subtle differences, he might prove a most excellent worker.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > [noun] > separating from main body > fact or condition of
discrimination1666
1666 N. Ward Serm. before Peers 30 He shall set the Sheep on his right hand, and the Goats on his left: This shall be the mark of their discrimination.
1676 E. Stillingfleet Def. Disc. Idolatry ii. iv. 863 There is a Reverence left to be shewed them on the account of their discrimination from other places and separation for sacred uses.
1710 D. Whitby Addit. Annot. New Test. (Heb. viii. 17) 130/1 Their Discrimination from all other Nations, on the Account of Circumcision.
1867 W. White E. Swedenborg: Life & Writings II. xxi. 247 Man would cease to be Man: on the one side he would lose his discrimination from God, and on the other from Nature.
4. The power or faculty of observing differences accurately, or of making exact distinctions; discernment.In later use frequently with implication of refined taste, good judgement, or knowledgeableness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > discernment, discrimination > [noun] > faculty of
shedc1000
discretionc1384
tastea1400
discernment1570
distinction1609
distinguishment1642
discrimination1764
1764 Polit. & Lit. Observ. Wks. Mr. Churchill 66 I think him frequently deficient in discrimination, taste, and propriety.
1794 W. Godwin Caleb Williams II. vii. 98 Yet under this rude exterior it was easy to distinguish various knowledge, nice discrimination, and a strong and active mind.
1814 W. Scott Waverley I. xxiii. 352 His character was touched with yet more discrimination by Flora. View more context for this quotation
1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xviii. 161 It does..credit even to your discrimination that you should have found such a very excellent..young woman.
1866 ‘G. Eliot’ Felix Holt II. xvi. 15 It was essential..that his waistcoat should imply much discrimination.
1918 Illustr. Milliner Aug. 81/2 Buyers are showing much discrimination in selecting colors.
1963 Art Educ. 16 vi. 14/2 Responsible people with sensitivity and a sense of discrimination.
2010 J. Hodgson tr. I. Kadare Accident 63 All my pretensions to be a young woman of discrimination.
5. Economics (originally U.S.). The treatment of goods, trading partners, etc., on a more or less favourable basis according to circumstances; an instance of this. Also with against, in favour of. Cf. discriminate v. 3, discriminating adj. 3.flag, price discrimination: see the first element.
ΚΠ
1789 Congress Reg. 1 235 The report makes a discrimination against them, of at least five times as much as the whole duty on American vessels.
1791 T. Coxe Navigation U.S. 5 Mar. in T. Jefferson Papers (1974) XIX. 414 The abolition of the discrimination of 20 cents in favor of recorded vessels or vessels built in the United States but belonging to foreigners.
1860 J. Savage Our Living Representative Men 420 Mr. Seward..advocated such a discrimination in duties upon imports as would best protect the industry of the country.
1949 Times 10 Sept. 5/6 Any sort of discrimination against the trade of any country or countries... Discrimination always tends to be practised against exports from ‘hard-currency countries’.
1951 J. R. Winton Dict. Econ. Terms 28 As the result of the world dollar shortage..discrimination has been widely practised..against the U.S.A.
2005 G. P. Sampson WTO & Sustainable Devel. i. 9 The issues extend to discrimination among imports on the basis of environmental standards.
6. Originally U.S. Unjust or prejudicial treatment of a person or group, esp. on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.; frequently with against. Also (with in favour of): favourable treatment of a person or group, in order to compensate for disadvantage or lack of privilege.age, gender, job, positive, race, reverse, sex, sexual discrimination, etc.: see the first element.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social attitudes > racial attitudes > [noun] > racism > segregation or discrimination
discrimination1819
colour discrimination1868
colour bar1869
segregation1903
plural democracy1939
apartheid1947
parallel development1950
separate development1955
petty apartheid1964
1819 Analectic Mag. Apr. 291 Prejudices and antipathies, it will be conceded, do exist against the blacks in the great mass of the white population, whether well founded or not... The discrimination is a matter of feeling, which will at least, for a long time, operate to keep the negroes out of the pale of white society.
1864 R. D. Owen Wrong of Slavery, Right of Emancipation iii. vii. 225 Of all petty schemes of false economy such discrimination against the colored soldier is the worst.
1899 B. T. Washington Future Amer. Negro vi. 148 Let the very best educational opportunities be provided for both races; and add to this an election law that shall be incapable of unjust discrimination.
1906 Ann. Amer. Acad. Polit. & Social Sci. 27 550 So long as the North treats the negro workman with blighting discrimination it is left little moral ground for complaint against the South where a like spirit assumes a different form of manifestation.
1955 Ann. Reg. 1954 135 Direct talks between South Africa..and India and Pakistan..on the..dispute over alleged discrimination against Indians in the Union.
1969 J. W. Gould U.S. & Malaysia iii. 81 Discrimination in favor of the Malays in the civil service, education, land ownership, citizenship, and suffrage was directed against the Chinese.
1975 Slavic Rev. 34 75 The congress..objected to national and linguistic discrimination.
2006 Washington Post 14 Oct. (Home ed.) a21/5 Deaf people..face discrimination not only because of their hearing status.
7. Electronics. The use of a discriminator to produce an output from a circuit or device which depends on some property of the input signal, such as frequency or amplitude; spec. demodulation. Frequently with distinguishing word denoting the property used.
ΚΠ
1951 Science 5 Oct. 359/1 Pulse height-width discrimination... A pulse-height discriminator rejects pulses that arise from cells with a lesser magnitude of fluorescence.
1989 P. Horowitz & W. Hill Art of Electronics (ed. 2) v. 301/1 Carefully limiting the amplitude of oscillation via internal amplitude discrimination and limiting circuitry.
2001 D. I. Crecraft & S. Gergely Analog Electronics ix. 224 The demodulation of frequency-modulated signals is sometimes called frequency discrimination.
8. An accusation or criticism; = recrimination n. 2. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > [noun] > by turning argument against opponent
retorting1509
retortion1574
recrimination1585
retorsion1624
retortment1649
discriminationa1670
whataboutery1974
whataboutism1978
a1670 J. Hacket Scrinia Reserata (1693) i. 16 Reproaches, and all sorts of unkind Discriminations.
1684 R. Baxter in M. Hale True Relig. Contents sig. a Schisms and Factions, and Personal Animosities, discriminations, Censoriousness.
Compounds
C1. General attributive.
a. Psychology. In sense 1b, as discrimination experiment, discrimination task, discrimination theory, etc.
ΚΠ
1890 W. James Princ. Psychol. I. iii. 94 The reaction may be withheld until the signal has consciously awakened a distinct idea (Wundt's discrimination-time, association-time) and then performed.
1948 E. R. Hilgard Theories of Learning v. 130 The discrimination experiment is always complicated by an additional fact of importance.
1967 E. D. Neimark & W. K. Estes Stimulus Sampling Theory iv. 430 The classification of discrimination theories..is based upon the number of elementary processes invoked.
1970 L. Elkington tr. J.-F. le Ny et al. Learning & Memory 57 The maze is a more complex discrimination situation in which there are possible alternative responses.
2004 W. S. Geisler in J. S. Werner & L. M. Chalupa Visual Neurosci. 827/1 In the discrimination task, the observer is presented with either a background plus a target or a background plus a modified target.
b. In sense 6, as discrimination claim, discrimination law, discrimination lawsuit, etc.
ΚΠ
1887 N.Y. Age 15 Oct. The public sentiment of these States respecting the Negro and the discrimination laws that they had ingrafted into their constitutions and their legislative enactments.
1950 Atlanta Daily World 22 Apr. 2/4 Bowling congress faces discrimination lawsuit.
1978 Mich. Law Rev. 76 1029 This approach encourages employers to investigate and reconcile discrimination claims.
1993 R. D. Hisrich & R. W. Jackson Selling & Sales Managem. ii. 26 When a plaintiff brings a discrimination charge against a company, he or she is not required to show intention to discriminate, only that the practice has a disproportionate impact on a protected group.
2005 E. Rarick Calif. Rising vi. 124 The bill allowed the commission to investigate discrimination allegations on its own, prior to a complaint.
C2.
discrimination learning n. Psychology the process by which a person or animal learns a different response to a different stimulus.
ΚΠ
1932 I. Krechevsky in Univ. Calif. Publ. Psychol. 6 27 (heading) ‘Hypotheses’ versus ‘chance’ in the pre-solution period in sensory discrimination-learning.
1974 Child Devel. 45 1146 It was predicted that educable retardates would respond to an experimental light cue in discrimination learning significantly more than normals of equivalent mental age.
2003 J. N. Layne in G. A. Feldhamer et al. Wild Mammals N. Amer. iv. 89 Subjects were unable to discriminate between vertical and horizontal bar patterns in a Y-maze, probably because of visual inability to resolve the bar shapes rather than a lack of discrimination learning ability.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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