different between watchfulness vs discrimination

English

Etymology

watchful +? -ness

Noun

watchfulness (countable and uncountable, plural watchfulnesses)

1. The state or quality of being watchful; alertness, vigilance or wakefulness.

   Continuous watchfulness is maintained around the clock.

   • 1665, Robert Hooke, Micrographia, Preface,^[1]

     The first thing to be undertaken in this weighty work, is a watchfulness over the failings and an inlargement of the dominion, of the Senses.

   • 1784, Samuel Johnson, letter addressed to Mr. Langton dated 25 August, 1784, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 545,^[2]

     Nights of watchfulness produce torpid days […]

   • 1896, H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau, New York: Stone & Kimball, Chapter 9, p. 82,^[3]

     Every dark form in the dimness had its ominous quality, its peculiar suggestion of alert watchfulness.

   • 1944, Neville Shute, Pastoral, London: Heinemann, Chapter 4,

     The steady rhythm of the engines, the fact that he had been sleeping badly, the boredom of a flight that he had done so many times before and did not want to do again, the long humiliation and unhappiness that was always in the background of his mind, all fought against his watchfulness.

Related terms

• watchful

Translations

English

Etymology

From Latin discr?min?ti?, discr?min?ti?nem, the action noun to discr?min?, discr?min?re (“distinguish”).

Learned Latinism in English use from the 17th century.Morphologically discriminate +? -ion

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?sk??m??ne???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

discrimination (countable and uncountable, plural discriminations)

1. Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.
2. The act of recognizing the 'good' and 'bad' in situations and choosing good.
3. (sometimes discrimination against) Distinct treatment of an individual or group to their disadvantage; treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality; prejudice; bigotry.

   Hyponyms: heterosexism, ageism, ableism, xenophobia, racism, sexism, classism, religionism, homophobia

4. The quality of being discriminating, acute discernment, specifically in a learning situation; as to show great discrimination in the choice of means.
5. That which discriminates; mark of distinction, a characteristic.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• stereotype
• bias
• racism

French

Etymology

From Latin discrim?nati?, discrim?nati?nem. Synchronically, from discriminer +? -ation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.k?i.mi.na.sj??/
• Rhymes: -asj??

Noun

discrimination f (plural discriminations)

1. discrimination, distinction

Related terms

• discriminatoire

Further reading

• “discrimination” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).