grievance
Americannoun
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a wrong considered as grounds for complaint, or something believed to cause distress.
Inequitable taxation is the chief grievance.
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a complaint, as against an unjust or unfair act.
to have a grievance against someone.
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a feeling or belief that one has been wronged, oppressed, or is the victim of an injustice; resentment.
The conflict on campus was described as the result of racial grievance or victim culture, depending on who reported it.
noun
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a real or imaginary wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint
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a feeling of resentment or injustice at having been unfairly treated
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obsolete affliction or hardship
Other Word Forms
- pregrievance noun
Etymology
Origin of grievance
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English greva(u)nce, greva(u)ns “injury, offense, annoyance,” from Old French grevance “harm, injury, trouble, misfortune”; grieve, -ance
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.
“Sinners” centers the Black American experience through history, art and spirituality, while “One Battle” speaks to the white liberal male’s ineffectual navigation of weaponized racial grievance.
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026
The system, he added, shifts control "decisively away from users", with "grievance processes and appeals operate on slower clocks", Gupta added.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
The motive for the attack remains unclear, although local media reports suggest the suspect may have had a grievance with a teacher at the school.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
“There will be roughly 80 million people with a grievance who will begin looking for me,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
“Five and a half to four: grievance stands.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
