What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Detect vs Discriminate - What's the difference?

detect | discriminate |

As verbs the difference between detect and discriminate

is that detect is to discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing while discriminate is to make distinctions.

As adjectives the difference between detect and discriminate

is that detect is (obsolete) detected while discriminate is having the difference marked; distinguished by certain tokens.

detect

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • to discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing
  • Derived terms

    * detection * detective * detector

    See also

    * discover * find * stumble upon

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Detected.
  • (Fabyan)

    discriminate

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To make distinctions.
  • Since he was colorblind he was unable to discriminate between the blue and green bottles.
  • To make decisions based on prejudice.
  • The law prohibits discriminating against people based on their skin color.
  • To set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to distinguish.
  • (Cowper)
  • * Barrow
  • To discriminate the goats from the sheep.

    Usage notes

    Due to the strong pejorative connotations of sense of “decide based on prejudice”, care should be taken in using the term in the sense “distinguish, make distinctions”, and this sense is primarily used in formal discourse; synonyms are generally used instead.

    Synonyms

    (make distinctions) * distinguish * differentiate

    Derived terms

    * discriminative * discriminatory

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the difference marked; distinguished by certain tokens.
  • (Francis Bacon)