biased
UK: ˈbaɪəst | US: ˈbaɪəst
adj. unfairly favoring one person, group, or thing over another
adj. influenced by personal opinions or prejudices
The word "biased" derives from the noun "bias," which originally meant "oblique line" or "slant" in Old French (biais), reflecting a diagonal or tilted direction. By the 16th century, "bias" evolved metaphorically to describe a mental inclination or prejudice, akin to a figurative "slant" in judgment. The suffix "-ed" transforms it into an adjective, indicating a state of being influenced by such partiality. The progression from physical slant to metaphorical prejudice highlights how language adapts spatial concepts to describe abstract biases.
The article was criticized for being biased toward the government’s policies.
Judges must avoid making biased decisions based on personal beliefs.
Her biased opinion prevented her from seeing the full picture.
The study was dismissed as biased due to its flawed methodology.
He admitted he was biased in favor of his hometown team.