The term "discriminatory purpose" refers to an intention or motive to treat someone unfairly, unjustly or differently based on certain characteristics such as race, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability etc. It implies that the action was taken with a prejudiced mindset and not for any legitimate reason. In legal contexts, discriminatory purpose is often used to establish liability in cases of discrimination or unfair treatment under laws such as Civil Rights Act, Fair Housing Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act etc.