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.Racial discrimination occurs when an individual is treated unfairly or harassed because of their race or ethnic background. Fill in the blanks below: 1. To 'discriminate' against someone means to: treat that person differently or less favorably. 2. Disparate Treatment Definition: Intentional discrimination against an individual based on a protected characteristic.