stigma

[ stig-muh ]

/ ˈstɪg mə /

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See synonyms for: stigma / stigmata on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural stig·ma·ta

[stig-muh-tuh, stig-mah-tuh, -mat-uh], /ˈstɪg mə tə, stɪgˈmɑ tə, -ˈmæt ə/, stig·mas.

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

Medicine/Medical.

a mental or physical mark that is characteristic of a defect or disease: the stigmata of leprosy.
a place or point on the skin that bleeds during certain mental states, as in hysteria.

Zoology.

a small mark, spot, or pore on an animal or organ.
the eyespot of a protozoan.
an entrance into the respiratory system of insects.

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

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.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR stigma

1 blot, blemish, tarnish.

See synonyms for stigma on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of stigma

1580–90; <Latin <Greek stígma tattoo mark, equivalent to stig- (stem of stízein to tattoo) + -ma noun suffix denoting result of action; see stick²

Words nearby stigma

stiff upper lip, stiffy, stifle, stifled, stifling, stigma, stigmasterol, stigmatic, stigmatism, stigmatist, stigmatize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stigma in a sentence

I also would think a series like Love Fraud helps remove the stigma attached to falling for a con like this.
“People want to believe”: How Love Fraud builds an absorbing docuseries around a romantic con man|Alissa Wilkinson|September 4, 2020|Vox
The pandemic served as a catalyst for video dating to become more common and remove some of the stigma.
Match’s CEO explains how dating has changed during the COVID pandemic|Danielle Abril|September 3, 2020|Fortune
I think there’s more stigma attached to femininity in mathematics than femaleness necessarily.
Conducting the Mathematical Orchestra From the Middle|Rachel Crowell|September 2, 2020|Quanta Magazine
People didn’t talk about poor mental health, whereas now we are removing the stigma around mental health and that means that we can tackle some of the issues relating to mental health.
Is There Really a “Loneliness Epidemic”? (Ep. 407)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 27, 2020|Freakonomics

There’s still some education and some stigma that needs to be addressed before more people are going to be willing to prescribe.
The Opioid Tragedy, Part 2: “It’s Not a Death Sentence” (Ep. 403)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 23, 2020|Freakonomics
Myerson herself appears to have bought into that stigma, offering mixed to negative views on the Miss America pageant.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The stigma of sexual assault runs deep in Syrian culture as it does across the Middle East; rape is shaming and casts dishonor.
Escaping Assad’s Rape Prisons: A Survivor Tells Her Story|Jamie Dettmer|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To be a woman suffering from a drinking problem in America is a lonely enterprise, defined by stigma and judgment.
Elizabeth Peña and the Truth About Alcoholic Women|Gabrielle Glaser|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, we talk about reducing the stigma of this disease—yet we've treated a visitor living with it as a threat.
They May Sound Like a Good Idea, But Travel Bans for Ebola Won’t Work|Abby Haglage|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while some sex workers turn to advocacy groups, even rape support organizations sometimes perpetuate stigma.
Sex Workers Don't Deserve to be Raped|Jillian Keenan|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the report was presented to the House, another attempt was made to put a stigma upon him.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Till I met you the word 'Yankee' seemed to me to be a stigma—a name to be applied in derision to the people of the North.
Frank Merriwell's Races|Burt L. Standish
The only change was that after 1860 Europeans were clear of the stigma that attached to any direct participation in it.
The Life of Gordon, Volume I|Demetrius Charles Boulger
Within the circle above mentioned there was a second pistil, tipped like the original with petal-like lobes instead of a stigma.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, July 1899|Various
"And we, on our part, will assist you to clear the stigma resting upon the lady who is your promised wife," he said.
The Sign of Silence|William Le Queux

British Dictionary definitions for stigma

stigma

/ (ˈstɪɡmə) /

noun plural stigmas or for sense 7 stigmata (ˈstɪɡmətə, stɪɡˈmɑːtə)

a distinguishing mark of social disgracethe stigma of having been in prison

a small scar or mark such as a birthmark

pathol

any mark on the skin, such as one characteristic of a specific disease
any sign of a mental deficiency or emotional upset

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

zoology

a pigmented eyespot in some protozoans and other invertebrates
the spiracle of an insect

archaic a mark branded on the skin

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

Word Origin for stigma

C16: via Latin from Greek: brand, from stizein to tattoo

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012