What is the Latin word for prejudice?

The usual Latin words for “prejudice” are opīniō, dētrīmentum, damnum; also incommodus, fraus, postulō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“prejudice” in Latin

opīniōopinion, conjecture, imagination, fancy, belief, expectation; reputation, esteem; report, rumor dētrīmentumharm, loss, damage; defeat; detriment damnumdamage, injury; loss, disadvantage; fine, mulct, penalty incommodusinconvenient, unsuitable, unfit, unseasonable; troublesome, disagreeable frauscheating, deceit, deception, fraud, guile, stratagem, trick, treachery, wiles; delusion, error; injury, hurt, harm postulōto demand, ask, request, desire; to pretend, claim; to prosecute, accuse, impeach, sue

The English word prejudice itself goes back to Latin iūdicō, through praeiūdicium.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

prejudice s.

Preconceived opinion, opinio praejudicata; aliquid praejudicati; opinio praesumta (☞ not praejudicium in this sense): opinio prava (a wrong opinion, prejudice): opinio ficta atque vana (false, untenable opinion); often simply opinio, where the context determines the sense: opinionis commentum. To come to the consideration of anything under the influence of some prejudice, aliquid praejudicati afferre: prejudice confirmed by the arguments, etc., of others, opinio confirmata: to have a prejudice in favor of anybody, bene de aliquo existimare; against anybody, male de aliquo opinari: to be under the influence of prejudice, opinione praejudicata duci.

Hurt, detrimentum: damnum: incommodum: fraus: to anybody’s prejudice, cum damno, detrimento, dispendio.

prejudice v.

To predispose anybody against anything or anybody, aliquem in suspicionem adducere alicui (to make anybody look upon another with suspicion): *efficere ut aliquis de aliquo male opinetur: aliquid alicui suspectum facere (Quint.). This prejudices the judge against the cause, hoc suspectam facit judici causam (Quint., 5, 13, 5): Anybody is prejudiced against anything, aliquid alicui suspectum, or suspectum et invisum, est: many persons are prejudiced against the medicine of the mind, medicina animi pluribus suspecta et invisa (Cic.): to be prejudiced against anybody, male opinari de aliquo; in favor of anybody, bene de aliquo existimare. Do not come to the consideration of this question with prejudiced minds, postulo, ut ne quid praejudicati huc afferatis (Cic.).

To be prejudicial to; Vid: HURT.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for prejudice?: The usual Latin words for “prejudice” are opīniō, dētrīmentum, damnum; also incommodus, fraus, postulō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.