How to say "prejudice" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 偏見へんけんnounCovers prejudice in the usual sense: a negative, distorted attitude toward a group or person. This is the default word for 'prejudice' in most contexts, such as prejudice against an ethnicity or lifestyle.
- 僻みひがみnounRefers to a warped, resentful way of seeing things, close to jealousy or spite — envying others and reading malice into their success. It suits personal bitterness rather than social prejudice against groups.
- 先入観せんにゅうかんnounCovers prejudice in the sense of a preconception or preconceived notion: a judgment formed before learning the facts. Typical when someone's prior assumption colors how they evaluate a person or situation.
- 思い込みおもいこみnounRefers to a mistaken or subjective impression that one takes as fact; 'prejudice' is only one gloss among others like 'assumption'. Use it for being convinced of something untrue, not for hostility toward a group.
- 偏りかたよりnounIts core senses are deviation, inclination, and offset, with 'bias' as a secondary gloss. It describes skew or imbalance, as in uneven distribution, and is seldom the word you want for human prejudice.
Use 偏見 for general negative prejudice, 「僻み」 for resentful warped attitudes, 先入観 for preconceived notions formed in advance, 「思い込み」 for mistaken assumptions, and 「偏り」 mainly for bias or skew rather than prejudice.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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