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Incriminate vs Discriminate - What's the difference?

incriminate | discriminate |

In transitive terms the difference between incriminate and discriminate

is that incriminate is to indicate the guilt of while discriminate is to set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to distinguish.

As an adjective discriminate is

having the difference marked; distinguished by certain tokens.

incriminate

English

Verb

  • To accuse or bring criminal charges against.
    • The newpapers are all incriminating me unjustly in this fiasco!
  • To indicate the guilt of.
    • We have all sorts of evidence which incriminates you.

    See also

    * get the goods on ----

    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

    Related terms

    * discriminant * discrimination * indiscriminate

    Adjective

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

    External links

    * * ----