grievance
Americannoun
-
a wrong considered as grounds for complaint, or something believed to cause distress.
Inequitable taxation is the chief grievance.
-
a complaint, as against an unjust or unfair act.
to have a grievance against someone.
-
a feeling or belief that one has been wronged, oppressed, or is the victim of an injustice; resentment.
The conflict on campus was described as the result of racial grievance or victim culture, depending on who reported it.
noun
-
a real or imaginary wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint
-
a feeling of resentment or injustice at having been unfairly treated
-
obsolete affliction or hardship
Other Word Forms
- pregrievance noun
Etymology
Origin of grievance
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English greva(u)nce, greva(u)ns “injury, offense, annoyance,” from Old French grevance “harm, injury, trouble, misfortune”; grieve, -ance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Contract negotiations, which began in September, have focused on the use of artificial intelligence, pay raises and “basic protections” including grievance procedures.
From Los Angeles Times
There was no recalibration nor hint of strategic retreat, only chest-thumping and grievance.
From Salon
One particularly confounding and repeated grievance is the film’s title.
From Salon
This year is no different, but voter grievances are more acute.
From Salon
But Yoon also tapped into pre-existing anxieties and grievances, especially among young men, activating a latent undercurrent of discontent and driving it to the surface.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
