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trigger warning

American

[trig-er wawr-ning] / ˈtrɪg ər ˌwɔr nɪŋ /

noun

a stated warning that the content of the immediately following text, video, etc., may cause distressing psychological or physiological reactions, especially in people who have previously experienced a related trauma: TW

The header line of the blog post contains a trigger warning for rape.

Etymology

Origin of trigger warning

First recorded in 1990–95; trigger ( def. ) (in the sense “something that stimulates or initiates”)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Maddie's first TikTok video about baby loss - which she posted with a trigger warning - shows her and her husband in the Blossom Suite, gently swaying with Teddy while tears stream down their faces.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

New batteries can trigger warning messages, replacement screens can disable a phone’s brightness settings, and substitute selfie cameras can malfunction.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2023

That mention of JP should have come with a trigger warning.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2023

A student who attended the class — who was president of Hamline’s Muslim Student Association — complained to the university, saying the trigger warning didn’t define what image would be shown.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

I went a bit back and forth with my editors about whether or not we should have, essentially, a trigger warning at the beginning of the book.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023