discriminate
verb C1
Plain meaning
treat people unfairly because of identity, or recognise differences
Exam-register meaning
In academic or exam writing, this is used to discuss treat people unfairly because of identity, or recognise differences in a more precise way.
In context
naturalThe team tried to discriminate against before the deadline.
examThe passage suggests that institutions may need to discriminate against in order to improve long-term outcomes.
Common collocations
discriminate againstdiscriminate betweendiscrimination law
Watch out
Do not pair it with a random object. Learn the full pattern, e.g., “discriminate against”. Also avoid confusing it with “distinguish”.