Discrimination is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. A simplified description of the legal definition of discrimination is when a person is treated disfavourably or when a person's dignity is violated.Discrimination means to act based on a preference or prejudice. Discrimination in this context refers to the arbitrary denial of rights, privileges, and opportunities to members of these groups. Prejudice refers to the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes someone holds about a group. Discrimination, the intended or accomplished differential treatment of persons or social groups for reasons of certain generalized traits. Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong Often racial and ethnic prejudice leads to discrimination against the subordinate racial and ethnic groups in a given society. Often racial and ethnic prejudice lead to discrimination against the subordinate racial and ethnic groups in a given society. In 1964, the US Congress passed Title VII Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination in employment and in other areas of society.