prae-

before, in front of

Forms

prae-
pre- — The usual English form, often transmitted through French.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *prai, ‘before,’ related to an older family of words for forward position.

Note

The same relationship can locate something earlier in time or ahead in space.

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noun / verb

prejudice

PREJ-uh-diss/ˈpredʒədɪs/

An unfair preconceived opinion, or the act of creating one.

The employer's prejudice favors the polished applicant over an equally capable candidate.

Employer turns away from a plainly dressed applicant while favoring an otherwise similar applicant in a polished suit, unfair appearance-based assumption.

Etymology

preLatinbefore, in front of

+judiceLatinjudgment

A 'judgment before' became a preconceived opinion: a conclusion reached before properly examining the facts. The selected sense emphasizes the unfair attitude that results from such premature judgment.

In context

Libertarianism.org7:14

you have to extract 12 people who have no bias no interest in the outcome no Prejudice about the defendant or the state

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America

More examples

The rumor prejudiced several voters against her.
We questioned the prejudice behind the decision.
His remarks revealed deeply rooted prejudices.

Forms

prejudice · prejudices · prejudiced · prejudicing

Similar words

bias: May be unconscious and need not arise before any knowledge.
intolerance: Intolerance emphasizes unwillingness to accept others rather than prejudging them.