grievance
Americannoun
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a wrong considered as grounds for complaint, or something believed to cause distress.
Inequitable taxation is the chief grievance.
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a complaint, as against an unjust or unfair act.
to have a grievance against someone.
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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
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a real or imaginary wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint
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a feeling of resentment or injustice at having been unfairly treated
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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.
More than two weeks of protests initially sparked by economic grievances have turned into one of the biggest challenges yet to the theocratic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
From Barron's
Pezeshkian, who was elected on a program of political and social reforms in 2024, initially said he understood the economic grievances of average Iranians.
“Cinema can be a way of expressing some grievances that we all have in terms of the society we live in,” Mendonça said.
From Los Angeles Times
They are airing their grievances in an active Signal chat called “Save California.”
Jellycat has become an unexpected, light-hearted outlet for young Chinese people to air their grievances about a slowing economy, where hard work doesn't guarantee comparable rewards.
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.
