Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. Discrimination means treating some people differently from others.Discrimination Defined. The word "discrimination" is often used as a synonym for anything an employee may personally believe is unfair. Them in a discrimination case may be requested to fill out a Discrimination Questionnaire. Discrimination is when someone is treated differently due to protected characteristics such as age, race, religion, gender, or disabilities. Discrimination refers to the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, sex, or disability. Fill in the blanks below: 1. To 'discriminate' against someone means to: treat that person differently or less favorably. 2. Race discrimination is when you are treated unfairly because of your race, or because of the race of someone you are connected with, such as your partner.