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.

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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

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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

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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

See Examples For:

stigma stigmas stigmata

She says the stigma of being a hoarder can stop people from seeking help.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“The chatbot’s tendency to perpetuate health misinformation and associated stigma regarding self-managed medication abortions poses a threat to public health and reproductive autonomy,” the researchers wrote.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

That was something, especially when we started shooting, that we all talked about, because we were like, “We’ve never been in a place where it didn’t feel like there was a stigma against it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

"It's a lot of stigma when somebody is brought to a psychiatrist," she said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

The place clearly had a stigma attached to it now, and nowhere was that better embodied than on the football held.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

Limiting your travels due to potential racial stigmas is doing yourself a disservice.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

It’s also a testament to bygone stigmas and ascendant trends in American dining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Rather, she prefers to be called a “ball of light” or “God’s helper,” mystifying phrases unburdened by the conventional stigmas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025

She said in addition to the different physical symptoms, there can be cultural pressures and stigmas at play among some black and Asian communities, where the topic of women's health can be a taboo.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025

To subject people who test positive to stigmas, especially when most of them may be false positives, is counterproductive and wrong.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

St. Francis, unmistakable from his tonsure, his chestnut robe and his stigmata, looks lovingly at the Christ Child.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

A student recently asked me about St. Francis of Assisi and the stigmata.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2025

At least get some kind of stigmata going.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2024

Now Ferrara hasn’t even attempted a conventional biopic of the man born Francesco Forgione at the end of the 19th century, and who, according to some accounts, started displaying stigmata after an illness-plagued childhood.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

I was a bom-and-bred Catholic and thought immediately it was some sort of writing stigmata and that I should get to a church.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

Related Words

• scar
• stain