adjective
prejudicial
prehd-zhuu-DIHSHL
adjective
1
Likely to cause harm or unfair disadvantage, especially in a legal or formal context.
"The judge ruled the photo too prejudicial to show the jury."
"Leaking the report could be prejudicial to the ongoing investigation."
How to Use Prejudicial
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that unfairly harms a person's case or reputation, often used in courtroom or formal contexts.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "prejudiced" (having biased opinions) — prejudicial describes something that causes harm or unfair disadvantage, not a person's attitude.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
prejudicial evidence
unduly prejudicial
Word Forms
more prejudicial comparative, most prejudicial superlative
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The judge ruled the photo too _____ to show the jury.
Etymology
From Old French prejudicial and Medieval Latin praeiudicialis, ultimately from the same Latin root as prejudice.