discriminating 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈskri-mə-ˌnā-tiŋ How to pronounce discriminating (audio)
Definition of discriminatingnext
1
as in discriminatory
favoring, applying, or being unequal treatment of different classes of people accused of discriminating practices in the hiring of employees

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2
as in characteristic
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group a discriminating feature of poison ivy is a compound leaf with three mitten-shaped leaflets

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discriminating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of discriminate
as in differentiating
to understand or point out the difference in the human eye can discriminate between very slight gradations of color

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discriminating
Adjective
Special effects were progressing with varying results, but intelligent storytelling was leading the charge as viewers became more discriminating. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Insurers, alerted to the problem and granted permission to respond, grew more discriminating in their underwriting and more probing in their investigations. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
The lawsuit challenged the policy as unconstitutionally vague and as violating the First Amendment by discriminating against certain viewpoints. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 Beijing’s Commerce Ministry accused Washington of misusing national security and discriminating against Chinese companies. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for discriminating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discriminating
  1. discriminatory
  2. characteristic
  3. differentiating
  4. unfair
  5. distinctive
  6. distinguishing
  7. distinct
  8. typical
Adjective
  • Leadership training disputes The lawsuit alleges Petersen began subjecting Kennon to discriminatory treatment around January 2024, including talking down to her, ignoring her and questioning her judgment.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The investigation found Brazilian policies unreasonable or discriminatory toward US commerce.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discriminatory
Adjective
  • Schwab's ambitions past trading are already on the record, delivered in Wurster's characteristic key of unhurried inevitability.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Notable among the findings is a road at least ¾ of a mile long with features, including a zigzagging route, characteristic of Inca construction.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of characteristic
Verb
  • But cultivating consumer trust, as opposed to pursuing rapid product expansion and chasing virality, has become a defining — and differentiating — aspect of Westman Atelier’s go-to-market model.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Meta is differentiating its new AI coding tool and Muse Spark family of models by price rather than capabilities when compared to popular offerings from from Anthropic and OpenAI, Wang said.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of differentiating
Adjective
  • Copyright, trade secrets, malpractice—none of it was written for this, and stretching it will only lead to unfair results.
    — Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Under federal debt collection rules, debt collectors generally can't harass you, make false or misleading representations or use unfair practices to collect a debt.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfair
Adjective
  • These colleagues have a distinctive feel for news in their hometown.
    — Scott Lebar, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Or even last summer when their response to the magic of Bilbao was to become Best Practice FC again, and hope that Thomas Frank could replicate the distinctive culture of Brentford in N17.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of distinctive
Verb
  • Its license plate readers capture plate numbers along with vehicle characteristics such as make, model and color, and some Flock systems can identify distinguishing features such as bumper stickers or aftermarket modifications.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Seats are wrapped in charcoal Mojave PurLuxe Premium upholstery, accented by contrast blue stitching and matching blue seatbelts, distinguishing it instantly from lower-tier Gravity variants.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of distinguishing
Adjective
  • But thanks to Chris Mundy’s Lanterns, that initial promise of empowering creatives to bring their own distinct voices to the DCU has now been realized beyond dispute.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Both West Coast indie presses are forging distinct, commercially viable paths outside the traditional New York publishing bubble.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of distinct
Adjective
  • With 50,000 unique items for sale and dozens of each on shelves at your typical big box store, that’s a lot for human beings to keep track of.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The carbon footprint was calculated using a range of usage from an industry average of 60% to 100% for round-the-clock deployment, and a gas burn rate of a typical single-cycle gas generator.
    — Matt Day, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of typical

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Cite this Entry

“Discriminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discriminating. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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