Protected Characteristic
One of nine grounds of identity protected from discrimination under the Equality Act 2010: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 lists the protected characteristics for the purposes of the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Whether a characteristic is 'protected' determines whether conduct in relation to it can amount to unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation under the Act. Different protections apply to different characteristics in different contexts — for example, protection against discrimination because of marriage or civil partnership generally applies only in the employment field.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.