microaggression

American  

[mahy-kroh-uh-gresh-uhn] / ˌmaɪ kroʊ əˈgrɛʃ ən /

noun

1. a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a member of a marginalized group, especially a racial minority, that is often unintentionally offensive or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype.

   microaggressions such as "I don't see you as Black."

2. the act of discriminating against a marginalized group by means of such comments or actions.

   The diversity committee discussed the issue of microaggression toward women on campus.

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Etymology

Origin of microaggression

First recorded in 1970; coined by psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce (1927–2016); micro- + aggression

Example Sentences

Nisha Trivedi, founder of NishaTri business etiquette training, said she got a question during a training session last spring about how to respond to a microaggression.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2024

There is a vast difference between a lynching and a microaggression, but that difference seems to sometimes get blurred on college campuses.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2023

"That is a linguistic microaggression, and it is a clear example of why understanding language and culture is in fact critically important to DEI work."

From Salon • Sep. 2, 2022

Perhaps characteristically, rather than dwell on the microaggression, Pendleton made it the prompt for his broad inquiry into how easily the social urge to categorize takes root and constrains hard-won freedoms.

From New York Times • Sep. 10, 2021

Then the video opens on Patrice, who says, “A microaggression is when someone says or does something that they might not even know is racist or sexist, but it is.”

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh