Definition 1 of 2
Definition
The ability of a receiver, instrument, or sensor to distinguish between two signals or values that are close together in frequency, amplitude, or some other measurable quantity. A system with good discrimination can separate a desired signal from a nearby unwanted one, or detect small differences between two readings.
Plain English
How well a piece of equipment can tell two close-together signals or readings apart. Better discrimination means it can pick out finer differences without mixing them up.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of aircraft radios, navigation equipment, radar, and any system that must separate one signal or target from another.
Derivation
From the Latin discriminare, meaning 'to separate' or 'to distinguish between.' In aviation electronics, the word is used in this original technical sense -- separating one thing from another -- not in the everyday social sense.
Why Pilots Care
Good discrimination helps a pilot trust that the equipment is showing the intended signal or target, not a nearby or similar one. Poor discrimination can make indications unclear or misleading.
Analogy
Discrimination is like being able to pick out one voice in a noisy room. If you can separate that voice from the others, you can understand the message; if you cannot, everything blends together.
Intuition Check
Discrimination does not mean unfair treatment here. In this context, it means the ability to tell similar signals, targets, or inputs apart.
Example Sentence 1
A radio receiver with good discrimination can separate a desired station from a nearby one without interference.
Example Sentence 2
Improved discrimination in the new comm radio reduced static from adjacent frequencies during the flight.