Prejudiced means judging someone unfairly based on assumptions about their group rather than on who they actually are as an individual. When someone is prejudiced, they make up their mind about a person before getting to know them, often because of things like where they're from, how they look, or what language they speak.

Imagine a teacher who assumes girls will struggle with math or boys will be bad at writing, without even seeing their work first. That's being prejudiced. Or picture someone who won't be friends with a new student just because they dress differently or come from another country. They've decided something negative without any real evidence.

A prejudiced person might refuse to listen to someone's ideas, dismiss their abilities, or treat them unkindly, all based on shallow assumptions rather than the person's actual character or actions.

Being prejudiced is different from having preferences. It's fine to prefer certain foods or activities. But prejudice involves unfair judgments about people. It closes a person's mind to discovering what someone is really like.