grievance

noun griev·ance \ ˈgrē-vən(t)s \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: grievance in a Sentence

Definition of grievance

1 obsolete : suffering, distress

2 : a cause of distress (such as an unsatisfactory working condition) felt to afford reason for complaint or resistance

Her chief grievance was the sexual harassment by her boss.

3 : the formal expression of a grievance : complaint

filed a grievance against her employer

See grievance defined for English-language learners

See grievance defined for kids

Examples of grievance in a Sentence

He has a deep sense of grievance against his former employer.
She has been nursing a grievance all week.
In the petition, the students listed their many grievances against the university administration.
Several customers came to the front desk to air their grievances.

Recent Examples of grievance from the Web

His second feature, Elysium (2013), found modest success and generally favorable reviews, factors that have become lost in the internet’s wave of grievances over the handling of the film’s social issues.

— richard newby, The Hollywood Reporter, "Why 'Robocop' and Neill Blomkamp Need Each Other," 11 July 2018
Hundreds of people took to the streets in the southwestern city of Khorramshahr over the weekend in a demonstration prompted by anger at dirty drinking water that turned into an expression of broader grievances against the government in Tehran.

— asa fitch, WSJ, "New Unrest Roils Iran as U.S. Ramps Up Pressure," 1 July 2018
Mutinies are not about seeking power in government so much as communicating grievances to government.

— kim yi dionne, Washington Post, "Four things you should know about mutinies," 15 June 2018
The public airing of grievances — especially from a frustrated Alonso — started early.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: McLaren seems destined to be part of IndyCar's future — one way or another," 4 June 2018
The policy of grievances is alienating some of America's long-time partners.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press - June 3, 2018," 3 June 2018
This, of course, will keep the league away from what could be a raft of grievances.

— albert breer, SI.com, "NFL Anthem Policy: Why Owners Decided on the New Rule," 24 May 2018
There are a lot of grievances for U.S. foreign policy hawks to hang their hats on, and unless North Korea gets rid of all of them, any could be a pretext for taking a hard line with Pyongyang.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Could North Korea Really Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons?," 1 May 2018
Yes, there’s something to be said for handling disappointment with discretion and for keeping disputes private rather than a public airing of grievances.

— jim ayello, USA TODAY Sports, "Ayello: Sebastien Bourdais ignites fireworks at Long Beach, steals the show," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grievance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of grievance

see grieve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

grievance Synonyms

Synonyms

beef, bleat, carp, complaint, fuss, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, holler, lament, moan, murmur, plaint, squawk, wail, whimper, whine, yammer;

Near Antonyms

commendation, compliment, plaudit;

acclaim, applause, praise;

approval, endorsement (also indorsement), sanction;

Synonym Discussion of grievance

injustice, injury, wrong, grievance mean an act that inflicts undeserved hurt. injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

- the injustices suffered by the lower classes

injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

- libel constitutes a legal injury

wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

- determined to right society's wrongs

grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

- a list of employee grievances

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

GRIEVANCE Defined for English Language Learners

grievance

noun

Definition of grievance for English Language Learners

: a feeling of having been treated unfairly
: a reason for complaining or being unhappy with a situation
: a statement in which you say you are unhappy or not satisfied with something

GRIEVANCE Defined for Kids

grievance

noun griev·ance \ ˈgrē-vəns \

Definition of grievance for Students

: a reason for complaining

Law Dictionary

grievance

noun griev·ance \ ˈgrē-vəns \

legal Definition of grievance

1 : a cause of distress (as an unsatisfactory working condition or unfair labor practice) felt to afford a reason for complaint or dispute; especially : a violation of a collective bargaining agreement usually by the employer

2 : the formal expression of a grievance brought especially by an employee as the initial step toward resolution through a grievance procedure — see also arbitration, grievance arbitration at arbitration, mediation