Prejudice

The word derives from Latin praejudicium—prae (in advance) and judicium (judgment)—originally meaning a legal precedent or preliminary judgment. In 14th-century English, it retained this neutral sense. The shift toward its negative connotation accelerated during the Enlightenment, as reason challenged arbitrary judgments. Psychologist Gordon Allport's seminal 1954 book The Nature of Prejudice solidified the modern understanding as a complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral phenomenon.