discriminatorily

IPA/dɪˌskrɪm.ɪ.nəˈtɔː.rəl.i/
IPA/dɪˌskrɪm.ə.nəˈtɔːr.əl.i/

discriminatorily — adverb

1. by treating someone less fairly because they belong to a particular group, such

1.adverbC2
Definition

by treating someone less fairly because they belong to a particular group, such as a racial, religious, age, gender, or disability group

Example

The hiring team discriminatorily rejected applicants over fifty before any interviews.

discriminatorily + reject applicants in a hiring context

Staff were discriminatorily assigning migrant workers to the worst dormitory rooms.

discriminatorily + assign people to worse conditions

Common collocations
  • act discriminatorily
  • treat workers discriminatorily
  • discriminatorily reject applicants
  • discriminatorily ban members
Synonyms
  • unfairly

    broader and less specific; it does not always imply group-based bias

  • prejudicially

    more formal; stresses bias in attitude or procedure

  • inequitably

    formal and abstract; often about unequal systems rather than direct biased acts

Antonyms
  • fairly

    with equal treatment and no unjust bias

  • equally

    giving the same treatment to each person or group

  • impartially

    without favouring one side or group

Grammar Patterns

act discriminatorily toward someone

discriminatorily + reject/treat/assign/ban

Usage Note

Usually appears in formal discussions of hiring, housing, education, benefits, or public services. It most often modifies actions such as reject, exclude, assign, pay, or treat, rather than private feelings.

Common Mistakes

The judge listened discriminatorily to both sides.
The judge listened carefully to both sides.
discriminatorily means unfairly based on group identity, not with careful judgment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Unfairly' is the broad everyday word for treating someone badly or unequally, but it does not always show why the treatment is wrong. 'Discriminatorily' is narrower and stronger: it says the unfair treatment is based on group identity such as race, sex, age, religion, or disability. 'Prejudicially' is also formal, but it often points to bias in attitude, reasoning, or legal procedure rather than the outward act itself. 'Inequitably' usually describes a system, rule, or distribution that creates unequal results, even when no single person openly shows bias. For example, a teacher who marks one student more harshly because of her accent acts discriminatorily; a funding formula that leaves poor schools with fewer resources may work inequitably even without one openly biased decision.

discriminatorily ↗unfairly ↗prejudiciallyinequitably ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • act discriminatorily
  • treat someone discriminatorily
  • discriminatorily reject applicants
  • discriminatorily assign housing

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Built in English from the adjective 'discriminatory' and the adverb ending '-ly'. 'Discriminatory' comes from 'discriminate', from Latin 'discriminare', meaning 'to divide' or 'separate'. The modern social sense developed in English around unfair distinctions between people or groups.