prejudice
UK[ˈpredʒ.ə.dɪs]US[ˈpredʒ.ə.dɪs]
n
An unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge.
v
To influence someone so that they have an unfair or unreasonable opinion about someone or something.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
judice
pre
before
judice
judgment
Etymology
The word 'prejudice' originates from the Old French 'prejudice,' meaning "harm, damage," which itself came from the Latin 'praejudicium,' signifying "a prior judgment." This Latin term is a compound of 'prae-' (before) and 'judicium' (judgment). The core logic of the word lies in the concept of forming a judgment or opinion before ('pre-') having sufficient evidence or a fair trial. Over time, the meaning evolved from a legal sense of a preliminary judgment to its modern abstract sense of a preconceived, often negative, bias that is not based on reason or experience.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + judice (judgment)
'pre' is a prefix of Latin origin meaning "before." 'judice' is derived from the Latin root 'judicium,' meaning "judgment."
Examples
The company's hiring policy was designed to eliminate any form of prejudice.
His unfortunate childhood experience prejudiced him against large dogs.
We must judge the case on its merits, without prejudice.