trigger warning

American  

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

noun

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of trigger warning

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

Example Sentences

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

What's the harm, then, in including a trigger warning?

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2024

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

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

Wong offers a trigger warning at the start of the show, which necessarily deals with “death, illness, poverty, mental health stressors, racism, trauma, the last U.S. president.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2023