Synonyms for discriminate
Most common
All synonyms
Verb
1. Differentiate — to set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to…
differentiate, discern, distinguish, separate, tell, set apart, single out, disjoin
Definitions
- v. 1
To set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to distinguish.
Related words
Forms
- Past participle
- discriminated
e.g. discriminated → differentiated, discerned, distinguished, separated…
Choose the right word
In mental processes we discriminate between objects by distinguishing their differences; we separate some one element from all that does not necessarily belong to it, abstract it, and view it alone.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- distinguish We cannot distinguish her from her younger sister.
- differentiate We differentiate between living and dead objects.
- discern It is hard to discern between the true and the false.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| discriminate | steady | |
| distinguish | steady | |
| differentiate | rising | |
| discern | rising | |
| disjoin | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- know1, tell1
- 5 letters
- judge1
- 7 letters
- discern2, disjoin
- 8 letters
- separate3, contrast2, disfavor3
- 9 letters
- disfavour
- 11 letters
- distinguish3
- 13 letters
- differentiate5
- 15 letters
- differentialize
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (discern2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- discriminer
- Español
- discriminar
- Deutsch
- diskriminieren