discriminatingly

IPA/dɪskɹˈɪmɪnˌeɪtɪŋli/
IPA/dɪskɹˈɪmᵻnˌeɪɾɪŋli/

discriminatingly — adjective

1. able to recognize small differences in quality and to make careful, well-informe

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

able to recognize small differences in quality and to make careful, well-informed judgments about what is excellent or appropriate — for example, a discriminating art collector who can tell a real masterwork from a copy.

Example

The gallery owner's discriminating eye quickly spotted the forged painting among the originals.

collocation: discriminating eye

Nora's discriminating taste in furniture led her to buy mid-century pieces from local auctions.

collocation: discriminating taste

Common collocations
  • discriminating eye
  • discriminating taste
  • discriminating palate
  • discriminating reader
  • discriminating audience
Synonyms
  • discerning

    very similar in meaning; slightly more intellectual in tone

  • judicious

    emphasizes wisdom and sound judgment rather than refined taste

  • perceptive

    stresses insight and understanding rather than the ability to select quality

  • selective

    less formal and more practical; focuses on choosing rather than judging quality

Antonyms
  • indiscriminate

    showing no careful judgment; accepting everything without distinction

  • undiscriminating

    lacking the ability to distinguish quality or excellence

Grammar Patterns

discriminating + noun

Usage Note

Frequently describes a person's taste, eye, or judgment in contexts of art, food, wine, and culture. Distinguish from the discriminatory sense (index 2), which has a negative meaning about unfair treatment.

Common Mistakes

She is a discriminatory art collector who knows every period.
She is a discriminating art collector who knows every period.
'discriminatory' means unfair or prejudiced; 'discriminating' means having refined judgment.

2. treating people in an unfair way based on their race, gender, age, religion, or

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

treating people in an unfair way based on their race, gender, age, religion, or other personal characteristics rather than on their individual qualities — for example, a discriminating policy that refuses housing to certain groups.

Example

The landlord's discriminatory rental policy refused apartments to families with young children.

collocation: discriminating policy — unfair treatment

The hotel used a discriminatory seating policy that separated guests by their ethnic background.

Common collocations
  • discriminating policy
  • discriminating practice
  • discriminating treatment
  • discriminating rule
Synonyms
  • discriminatory

    the more common and unambiguous term for unfair treatment

  • prejudiced

    focuses on the personal attitude or bias behind the action

  • biased

    more general; can refer to any kind of倾斜, conscious or unconscious

Antonyms
  • fair

    treating everyone equally without prejudice

  • impartial

    not favouring one group over another

  • nondiscriminatory

    explicitly not based on prejudice or bias

Grammar Patterns

discriminating + noun (policy, practice, rule)

Usage Note

Primarily appears in legal, social, and policy contexts. Unambiguously negative — describes systems or practices that treat groups unfairly. This sense is much rarer than the discerning sense (index 1) in everyday language; discriminatory is the more common adjective for this meaning.

Common Mistakes

The company's discriminating policy is illegal.
The company's discriminatory policy is illegal.
For unfair, prejudiced treatment, most modern English uses 'discriminatory' instead of 'discriminating'.

discriminatingly — adverb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe someone who makes careful judgments, but they differ in emphasis. Discerning is the closest synonym to discriminating — both imply refined taste and the ability to detect subtle differences, especially in art, food, or culture. Judicious shifts the focus from taste to wisdom: a judicious decision is well thought out and balanced, not necessarily elegant or tasteful. Perceptive highlights the mental act of noticing things others miss — a perceptive remark shows insight, not selectivity. Selective is the most practical and least formal of the group; it focuses on the act of picking and choosing rather than on refined judgment. For example, a discerning art collector buys only museum-quality pieces; a judicious investor spreads risk across different assets; a perceptive critic notices a director's recurring themes; and a selective shopper checks prices before buying.

discerning ↗judicious ↗perceptive ↗selective ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • discriminating taste
  • discriminating eye
  • discriminating audience
  • discriminating policy
  • discriminating reader

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'discriminating' (the present-participle form of 'discriminate') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. The verb 'discriminate' comes from Latin 'discriminare' meaning 'to divide, separate', which in turn came from 'discrimen' meaning 'distinction or dividing line', a derivative of 'discernere' ('to separate, distinguish'). The positive sense — having refined judgment — developed in the 18th century, while the negative sense of unfair treatment arose in the mid-20th century.