Discriminating
/dɪˈskrɪməˌneɪtɪŋ/
adjectiveverbC1present participle
Definition
Discriminating describes someone who can see or understand small details and differences between things. This skill helps them choose or judge well, like knowing which food tastes better or which idea is stronger. It can also mean treating people unfairly by noticing differences, but here it usually means careful and smart judgment.
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See It in Action
Having good taste or judgment by noticing fine differences
- •She has a discriminating eye for art and can tell real paintings from copies.
- •A discriminating customer only buys the best quality products.
- •The critic gave a discriminating review of the new movie, pointing out subtle details.
(less common) Treating people unfairly because of differences (race, gender, etc.)
- •Laws protect people from discriminating behavior.
- •Discriminating against others because of their background is wrong.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "discriminating" like "choosing" (A1 word), but with careful attention to small details that many people miss
- ✓Picture a person tasting two similar dishes and knowing exactly which one is better because they notice tiny flavors
- ✓It's the feeling when you can tell the difference between good and bad quality clothes just by looking or touching
- ✓Sounds like "dis-CRIM-in-ating" → imagine someone CRIMinal (bad) but instead this person is smart and picks carefully, not badly
- ✓Imagine a judge in a cooking contest who must pick the best dish by noticing little things others don’t see
- ✓NOT like "blind" (cannot see differences), discriminating means very clear and careful about differences
- ✓NOT like "random" (without choice), discriminating means making choices based on careful thought
Try Other Words
- •Selective: choosing only the best or most suitable things (Use when focusing on the act of choosing carefully)
- •Judicious: showing good judgment or sense (Use when emphasizing wise decisions)
- •Perceptive: able to notice or understand things quickly (Use when focusing on noticing details)
- •Biased: unfairly favoring or against something (Use when meaning unfair discrimination)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "dis-" (apart, away) + "criminate" (from Latin "criminare" meaning to judge or accuse) + "-ing" (present participle suffix)
- •Etymology: From Latin "discriminare," meaning to separate or distinguish
- •Historical development: Originally meant to separate or distinguish between things, now often means to judge carefully or unfairly treat
- •Modern usage: Mostly used to describe careful judgment or taste, but can also mean unfair treatment in social contexts
Reflect & Connect
•How can being discriminating help you make better decisions in daily life?
•Can being too discriminating ever cause problems, like making unfair judgments?
Fill in the blanks
1.A discriminating person notices ___ between similar products that others might miss.
2.When you are discriminating in your choices, you usually ___ the quality carefully.
3.Unlike random selection, discriminating means making decisions based on ___ details.
4.People who are discriminating about food often have a ___ sense of taste.
5.Discriminating against someone because of their background is ___ and unfair.
6.A discriminating critic will often ___ subtle differences in movies or books.
7.To be discriminating, you need to pay close attention ___ small details and differences.