Defn: Forming a judgment without due examination; prejudging. Dr. H.
More.
PREJUDICE Prej"u*dice n. Etym: [F. préjudice, L. praejudicium; prae before + judicium judgment. See Prejudicate, Judicial.]
1. Foresight. [Obs.] Naught might hinder his quick prejudize. Spenser.
2. An opinion or judgment formed without due examination; prejudgment; a leaning toward one side of a question from other considerations than those belonging to it; an unreasonable predilection for, or objection against, anything; especially, an opinion or leaning adverse to anything, without just grounds, or before sufficient knowledge. Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically an honest man. Macaulay.
3. (Law)
Defn: A bias on the part of judge, juror, or witness which interferes with fairness of judgment.
4. Mischief; hurt; damage; injury; detriment. Locke. England and France might, through their amity, Breed him some prejudice. Shak.
Syn. — Prejudgment; prepossession; bias; harm; hurt; damage; detriment; mischief; disadvantage.
PREJUDICE
Prej"u*dice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prejudiced; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prejudicing.] Etym: [Cf. F. préjudicier. See Prejudice, n.]
1. To cause to have prejudice; to prepossess with opinions formed without due knowledge or examination; to bias the mind of, by hasty and incorrect notions; to give an unreasonable bent to, as to one side or the other of a cause; as, to prejudice a critic or a juryman. Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning. I. Watts