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Prepositions after verbs

Discriminate against, between, or among

Discriminate against means treat unfairly. Discriminate between or among means notice differences.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with discriminate?

Use discriminate against for unfair treatment. Use discriminate between or among for recognising differences. Discriminate on is used mainly with a basis such as race or age in formal contexts. Discriminate in is uncommon after the verb itself.

discriminate against older workers
discriminate between similar colours
discriminate among the candidates

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
discriminate against + person/group

Showing unfair treatment

Use against when someone is treated unfairly.

The law forbids employers to discriminate against women
2
discriminate between + two things

Recognising differences

Use between for distinguishing two items or groups.

Young children cannot always discriminate between fantasy and reality
3
discriminate among + several things

Choosing or distinguishing in a group

Among is used with more than two options.

Experts can discriminate among dozens of wine varieties
4
discriminate on + basis

Stating the basis for discrimination

Formal English sometimes uses on before words like race, age, or gender.

It is illegal to discriminate on the basis of disability

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
discriminate against
They were accused of discriminating against immigrants.
treat unfairly
discriminate between
Can you discriminate between the two accents?
notice a difference between two things
discriminate among
The software can discriminate among hundreds of images.
distinguish within a larger group
discriminate on
The policy must not discriminate on grounds of religion.
state the basis of discrimination in formal language

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using discriminate with no preposition for unfair treatment

Against is normally needed when talking about unfair treatment.

✕ The company discriminates women. ✓ The company discriminates against women.

Using between for many items

Among is more natural for a large group.

✕ She discriminated between all the applicants. ✓ She discriminated among all the applicants.

Using in after discriminate

In is usually not selected by discriminate in this meaning.

✕ They discriminated in age. ✓ They discriminated on the basis of age.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The law protects workers who are discriminated ___ because of age.
2. Experts can discriminate ___ authentic and fake products.
3. The rules must not discriminate ___ grounds of nationality.

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Frequently asked questions

Is discriminate against always negative?

Yes. It refers to unfair treatment.

What is the difference between between and among?

Between usually refers to two things, while among refers to a larger group.

Can I say discriminate in?

It is uncommon after discriminate itself. Other prepositions are usually more natural.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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