grievance

American  

[gree-vuhns] / ˈgri vəns /

noun

• grievances
  plural

1. a wrong considered as grounds for complaint, or something believed to cause distress.

   Inequitable taxation is the chief grievance.

   Synonyms:

   distress, injury, hurt, injustice, affront

2. a complaint, as against an unjust or unfair act.

   to have a grievance against someone.

3. 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.

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grievance British  

/ ˈɡriːvəns /

noun

1. a real or imaginary wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint

2. a feeling of resentment or injustice at having been unfairly treated

3. obsolete affliction or hardship

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grievance Idioms  

1. see air one's grievances.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pregrievance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grievances
  plural

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”; see origin at grieve, -ance

Explanation

A grievance is a complaint. It can be formal, as when an employee files a grievance because of unsafe working conditions, or more of an emotional matter, like a grievance against an old friend who betrayed you. A grievance is a complaint that may or may not be justified. Often a grievance is a complaint about something that breaks a rule or a law, like a grievance filed against a person who builds a fence in his front yard in a town that does not allow that. If that same neighbor plants flowers he knows make you sneeze uncontrollably, you might be unhappy about that, but this is the kind of grievance you can work out among yourselves.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grievance grievances

Should my friend file a grievance with the State Bar of Texas?

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Days later, Attiah, who was represented by the Washington-Baltimore News Guild and Democracy Defenders Fund, filed a grievance saying she was wrongfully terminated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

That if you are loud enough, and your engine is big enough, and your grievance is hot enough, that is the same thing as being a man.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Although they've got until 2035 to hit the target, the US president will want proof Europe is addressing his long-standing grievance.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

And Guitar was becoming just like them—except he made no excuses for himself—just agreed, it seemed to Milkman, with every grievance he heard.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

Young Americans have legitimate grievances about housing, debt and concentrated economic power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

That lack of communication was high on the list of grievances voiced by protestors in rallies against Fedorov's removal, and again on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Montgomerie argued Farage and Reform were at their best when they were more positive rather than "inward looking" and focused on "grievances."

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

"The memes, posters and slogans suggested grievances extending well beyond exam paper leaks."

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The accused have told me and their counsel have told me that the accused who were all leaders of the non-European population were motivated entirely by a desire to ameliorate these grievances.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• grief
• hardship
• injustice
• objection
• outrage
• resentment
• sorrow
• unhappiness