The Difference Between Bigotry and Prejudice

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines “bigotry” as being a bigot, which in turn refers to someone who “holds blindly and intolerantly” to a viewpoint; a second definition calls a bigot “a narrow-minded, prejudiced person.” The connotation suggests that bigotry is a form of extremism. "Chicago Tribune" columnist Eric Zorn takes this a step further, arguing that bigotry refers to intolerant actions, not just opinions.

While bigotry refers to strong intolerance, prejudice can be milder. In its most basic form, it simply means a “preconceived idea,” one formed without knowing all the facts and usually unfavorable, says Webster’s New World College Dictionary. The dictionary gives further, stronger definitions: intolerance of other groups or even the harm arising from intolerance. This overlap permits the dictionary’s use of “prejudiced” in helping define “bigot.” Someone could use “prejudice” to describe feelings about a sports team or film genre: “She is prejudiced against romantic comedies.” The same word, however, could also refer to the kind of social intolerance that is more specifically described by “bigotry”: “She is prejudiced against Muslims.”