Prejudice
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
When a person is prejudiced, it means that they decide they like or dislike something without really thinking carefully about it. The word comes from the Latin "pre" (before) and "judge".
[change] Types of prejudice
The word "prejudice" is often used when people dislike another group of people that are different from them. They may decide they do not like them because of their skin colour (this is "racial prejudice"), religion (religious prejudice) or nationality. These are all serious prejudices which can lead to hatred or even war.
[change] Prejudice in popular culture
Judges in a court of law should not be prejudiced when deciding whether someone is guilty. They should have an "open mind" so that they can make a fair decision. For example, if that person is the judge's friend then the judge would be prejudiced because he (or she) would not want his (or her) friend to get into trouble.
In many other situations it is important not to be prejudiced, e.g. for an adjudicator in a competition or a juror in a jury.