stigma

American  

[stig-muh] / ˈstɪg mə /

noun

stigmata, plural stigmas plural

1. a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation.

   Synonyms:

   tarnish, blemish, blot

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a mental or physical mark that is characteristic of a defect or disease.

      the stigmata of leprosy.

   2. a place or point on the skin that bleeds during certain mental states, as in hysteria.

3. Zoology.

   1. a small mark, spot, or pore on an animal or organ.

   2. the eyespot of a protozoan.

   3. an entrance into the respiratory system of insects.

4. Botany. the part of a pistil that receives the pollen.

5. stigmata, marks resembling the wounds of the crucified body of Christ, said to be supernaturally impressed on the bodies of certain persons, especially nuns, tertiaries, and monastics.

6. Archaic. a mark made by a branding iron on the skin of a criminal or slave.

---

stigma British  

/ ˈstɪɡmə /

noun

1. a distinguishing mark of social disgrace

   the stigma of having been in prison

2. a small scar or mark such as a birthmark

3. pathol

   1. any mark on the skin, such as one characteristic of a specific disease

   2. any sign of a mental deficiency or emotional upset

4. botany the receptive surface of a carpel, where deposited pollen germinates

5. zoology

   1. a pigmented eyespot in some protozoans and other invertebrates

   2. the spiracle of an insect

6. archaic a mark branded on the skin

7. (plural) Christianity marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ, believed to appear on the bodies of certain individuals

---

stigma Scientific  

/ stĭg′mə /

1. The sticky tip of a flower pistil, on which pollen is deposited at the beginning of pollination.

2. See more at flower

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stigmas
  plural
• stigmata
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stigma

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin, from Greek stígma “tattoo mark,” equivalent to stig- (stem of stízein “to tattoo”) + -ma, noun suffix; see stick ²

Explanation

If something has a negative association attached to it, call this a stigma. Bed-wetting can lead to a social stigma for a six-year-old, while chewing tobacco might have the same effect for a sixty-year-old. Stigma, from the Greek word of the same spelling meaning "mark, puncture," came into English through Latin to mean a mark burned into the skin to signify disgrace. It did not take long for stigma to be used figuratively, as it is commonly used today, for the negative stereotype or reputation attached to something. If a politician is caught taking bribes, she might resign because of the stigma.

Example Sentences

Dickens is open about her role as a caregiver in part as a way to decrease the stigma around bringing that part of a person’s life to work, she said.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

Still, young people say that living at home in 2026 doesn’t carry the stigma it once did because of how unaffordable life has become.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

It is a genuinely good thing that elected officials can speak openly about mental health challenges and get treatment without stigma.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026

Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally apologised for the "pain, trauma and stigma" caused to those affected, saying there was deep shame it had happened to people "in the care of Christian communities".

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

David Braman’s ethnographic research shows that mass incarceration, far from reducing the stigma associated with criminality, actually creates a deep silence in communities of color, one rooted in shame.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• scar
• stain