What does prejudice mean?

Answer 1

Prejudice as a noun means "a bias towards a particular group". This can be a positive bias, as in the example of Asian-American students generally being good at math, or a negative bias, as in the example of blond females generally being considered naive. In American English, prejudice typically carries a negative connotation - it is not socially acceptable to have a prejudice. In general conversation, having a prejudice is interchangable with stereotyping or discriminating, although by definition these are all three different concepts.

Prejudice as a verb means "to cause or influence a person to have a bias towards a particular group".

The word means "to judge before" and means that you judge the qualities of the individual based upon preconceived notions about the group as a whole. In this way it takes a stereotype (Chinese people are good at math) and applies it to an individual (and you are Chinese so you must be good at math).

Answer 2

Prejudicial means...

1. causing a disadvantage
2. detrimental

A more literal meaning is "causing a judge or jury to have an opinion on a case before hearing all the evidence"

Answer 3

Having negative feelings about a group of people or its members

Answer 4

To judge someone or have an idea about them after you actually know anything about them.