prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌpre-jə-ˈdi-shəl 
1
: tending to injure or impair : detrimental
a transfer prejudicial to other creditors
2
: leading to premature judgment or unwarranted opinion
prejudicial evidence
Synonyms
Examples of prejudicial in a Sentence
The judge ruled that the prejudicial effect of the evidence outweighed its value.
pretrial publicity that may be extremely prejudicial to a defendant's right to a fair trial
Recent Examples on the Web
This production is clearly intended to present a one-sided and prejudicial narrative.
—
Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Context: The city alleges the district court made mistakes, including instructing the jury to apply an incorrect legal standard — lessening the plaintiffs' burden of proof — and erroneously admitting evidence that was unfairly prejudicial, per the appeal document.
—Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court overturned the court of appeals' opinion in the case, which found that there was no legal precedent addressing whether prejudicial evidence violates due process.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
Smith’s appeal of the dismissal of charges against Nauta and De Oliveira, who were charged alongside Trump with obstructing the investigation, is still active, and their lawyers argued this week that the release of a report while proceedings were pending would be prejudicial and unfair.
—Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prejudicial 
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Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Jan. 2025
Context: The city alleges the district court made mistakes, including instructing the jury to apply an incorrect legal standard — lessening the plaintiffs' burden of proof — and erroneously admitting evidence that was unfairly prejudicial, per the appeal document.
—Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
The Supreme Court overturned the court of appeals' opinion in the case, which found that there was no legal precedent addressing whether prejudicial evidence violates due process.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
Smith’s appeal of the dismissal of charges against Nauta and De Oliveira, who were charged alongside Trump with obstructing the investigation, is still active, and their lawyers argued this week that the release of a report while proceedings were pending would be prejudicial and unfair.
—Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prejudicial
Dictionary Entries Near prejudicial
Cite this Entry
“Prejudicial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prejudicial. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌprej-ə-ˈdish-əl
: tending to cause damage : detrimental
Legal Definition
prejudicial
adjective
prej·u·di·cial
ˌpre-jə-ˈdi-shəl
: having the effect of prejudice: as
a
: tending to injure or impair rights
such a transfer would be prejudicial to other creditors
b
: leading to a decision or judgment on an improper basis
the evidence was excluded because it was more prejudicial than probative
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