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trigger warning

American

[trig-er wawr-ning] / ˈtrɪg ər ˌwɔr nɪŋ /

noun

a stated warning that the content of the immediately following text, video, etc., may cause distressing psychological or physiological reactions, especially in people who have previously experienced a related trauma: TW

The header line of the blog post contains a trigger warning for rape.

Etymology

Origin of trigger warning

First recorded in 1990–95; trigger ( def. ) (in the sense “something that stimulates or initiates”)

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.

See Examples For:

trigger warning

Maddie's first TikTok video about baby loss - which she posted with a trigger warning - shows her and her husband in the Blossom Suite, gently swaying with Teddy while tears stream down their faces.

From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025

“Munich Medea: Happy Family” carries the wrong trigger warning.

From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2024

She also reportedly gave a trigger warning before the lesson in which the image was shown.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2023

Wong offers a trigger warning at the start of the show, which necessarily deals with “death, illness, poverty, mental health stressors, racism, trauma, the last U.S. president.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

"Stranger Things" added in a trigger warning ahead of release.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023