discrimination - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about discrimination Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,509,342,707 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

discrimination

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.

discrimination

Distinction made (social, economic, political, or legal) between individuals or groups such that one has the power to treat the other unfavourably. Negative discrimination, often based on stereotype, includes anti-Semitism, caste, racism, sexism, and slavery. Positive discrimination, or affirmative action, is sometimes practised in an attempt to counteract the effects of previous long-term negative discrimination. Minorities and, in some cases, majorities have been targets for discrimination.

Discrimination may be on grounds of difference of colour, nationality, religion, politics, culture, class, sex, age, or a combination of such factors. Legislation has been to some degree effective in forbidding racial discrimination, against which there is a United Nations convention of 1969.

National legislation in the USA includes the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and a movement to add an amendment to the Constitution mandating equal rights for women, the Equal Rights Amendment.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The collective sense of the State legislatures can never be influenced by extraneous circumstances of that sort; a consideration which alone ought to satisfy us that the discrimination apprehended would never be attempted.
Federalist Papers Authored by Alexander Hamilton by Hamilton, Alexander View in context
By an unjust discrimination against quadrupeds I am made ineligible to a seat in your convention; so I am compelled to seek representation through you.
Fantastic-Fables by Bierce, Ambrose View in context
Pure, correct, elegant and lucid language will be met with in men of courtly breeding and discrimination, though they may have been born in Majalahonda; I say of discrimination, because there are many who are not so, and discrimination is the grammar of good language, if it be accompanied by practice.
Don Quixote by Cervantes, Miguel View in context
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.