noun

implicit bias

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Implicit bias (noun) means an attitude or stereotype about a group of people that affects someone's judgements and actions without them being aware of it or intending it. Example: “Anonymising the names on applications is meant to reduce the effect of implicit bias in hiring.”

noun

An attitude or stereotype about a group of people that affects someone's judgements and actions without them being aware of it or intending it.

"Anonymising the names on applications is meant to reduce the effect of implicit bias in hiring."

"She insisted she treated everyone equally, but the study suggested implicit bias in who she called on."

How to Use Implicit bias

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA prejudice you hold without realising it, which quietly affects how you treat people.

When to use it

Common in workplace training, HR policy, academic psychology and journalism.

Memory tip

The word implicit means unstated or unspoken, so implicit bias is bias nobody says out loud, including to themselves.

Easily confused with

explicit bias prejudice → discrimination →

Common pairings

unconscious or implicit bias implicit bias training implicit bias in hiring

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Anonymising the names on applications is meant to reduce the effect of _____ in hiring.

Synonyms

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unconscious bias hidden bias implicit prejudice

Antonyms

explicit bias conscious prejudice

Rhymes for implicit bias

bias alias Elias Arias Tobias gracias Mathias Matthias Iglesias

See all rhymes for implicit bias →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between implicit bias and explicit bias?

Explicit bias is a belief a person knows they hold and could state out loud, such as openly preferring one group over another. Implicit bias operates below awareness and can contradict what the person sincerely believes, which is why people are often surprised by their own behaviour.

Does having implicit bias make someone racist?

Not in the ordinary sense of the word. Implicit bias describes automatic associations picked up from surroundings, culture and media rather than a chosen belief; the concern is with the decisions it shapes, not with labelling the individual.

Can implicit bias be measured?

Researchers use reaction-time tests such as the Implicit Association Test, alongside audit studies of real hiring and lending decisions. The tests are widely used but their reliability for judging any single individual is debated.