prejudice
Transitive Verb[C/U] Both
past: prejudicedpp: prejudiceding: prejudicing
This word carries a heavy weight of social injustice and psychological bias. It describes a mental shortcut where a person decides the value or character of another before actually knowing them. It is almost always used with a negative connotation, signaling a lack of fairness or objectivity.
Countable when referring to a specific bias or a particular instance of bigotry (e.g., fighting racial prejudices). Uncountable when referring to the general concept of preconceived opinion or the state of being biased.