extreme prejudice

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English

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Etymology

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From the longer phrase terminate with extreme prejudice, popularized by the film Apocalypse Now (1979), but used earlier jokingly as CIA jargon.

Noun

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extreme prejudice (uncountable)

  1. Lethal force, applied extrajudicially with the intent to kill.
    • 1971, American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 575:
      Osborn was involved in the liquidation program and cites an example of a Vietnamese operative being liquidated with extreme prejudice on orders from higher headquarters.
  2. Severe treatment.
    • 2002, Finance Week, page 81:
      Without a real market to determine the price such suggested prices should be discounted with extreme prejudice by any potential investors.
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see extreme,‎ prejudice.
    • 1989, Defense Law Journal, volume 38, page 301:
      The centerpiece of the court's justification for reversing and remanding was its conclusion that when the trial judge disclosed the terms of the settlement, he created a great risk of extreme prejudice to the remaining defendant.
    • 2002, Vincent N. Parrillo, Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations, page 16:
      For example, majority-group members may view minority groups with suspicion, but not all minority groups become the targets of extreme prejudice and discrimination.
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