Definition of: prejudice

(prej′·dis) noun
1. A judgment or opinion, favorable or unfavorable, formed beforehand or without due examination; a mental decision based on other grounds than reason or justice; especially, a premature or adversely biased opinion.
2. Detriment arising from a hasty and unfair judgment; injury; harm.
—in (or to) the prejudice of To the injury or detriment of.
—without prejudice Law Without detriment to any right that previously existed: usually applied to the dismissal of a bill in equity without consideration of the merits; or to the reservation, express or implied, of all rights in favor of one who offers to compromise a claim or litigation, in case his offer is rejected.
—v.t. ·diced, ·dic·ing
1. To affect or influence with a prejudice; bias.
2. To affect injuriously or detrimentally; damage; impair. [<OF <L praejudicium <prae- before + judicium judgment] Synonyms (noun): bias, preconception, predilection, prepossession, unfairness. A prejudice or prepossession is grounded often on feeling, fancy, associations, etc. A prepossession is always favorable, a prejudice usually unfavorable, unless the contrary is expressly stated. See INJURY. Antonyms: certainty, conclusion, conviction, demonstration, evidence, reason, reasoning.