Discriminatorily

Discriminatorily is an adverb used to describe actions, decisions, or remarks that are made in a discriminatory or prejudicial manner, particularly when based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. It functions to specify the manner in which discrimination is carried out rather than to name the act itself.

In usage, discriminatorily is less common than the corresponding adjective discriminatory, and tends to appear in formal or analytical writing, including social science, legal analysis, and policy discussions. It can modify verbs or adjectives, as in “acted discriminatorily” or “discriminatorily biased policies.” In everyday language, speakers often prefer phrases like “in a discriminatory manner” or simply “discriminatory.”

Etymology and form: Discriminatorily is built from the adjective discriminatory, which itself derives from discriminate, with the suffix -ory forming the adjective and -ily forming the adverb. The root discriminate comes from Latin discriminare, from dis- ‘apart’ + cernere ‘to discern.’ The word discriminatorily thus describes the manner of discrimination rather than the act in isolation, and it signals critique or analysis of fairness in behavior or policy.

See also: discrimination; discriminatory practice; bias; unfair treatment.