grievance

noun

griev·​ance ˈgrē-vən(t)s 

1

: 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.

2

: the formal expression of a grievance : complaint

filed a grievance against her employer

3

obsolete : suffering, distress

Synonyms

• resentment
• grudge

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

In November 2023, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology introduced new social media regulations, requiring platforms to register with the government, set up a local contact point, appoint a grievance officer and designate an oversight official. —Nir Kshetri, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2025

But for a brief time, we were too focussed on our own racial grievances to see past them. —Beth Lew-Williams, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025

That anger is amplified by a mix of social media, conspiracy theories and personal grievances. —Lauren De Young, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025

His orations of statistics, stories, and argumentative persuasion at colleges were energetic, frictious, and necessary to unshackle us from grievance and tribalism. —Alex Rosado, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grevaunce, grevance "offense, ground for complaint, resentment, hardship, sickness," borrowed from Anglo-French, from grever "to be a burden to, harm, afflict" + -aunce, -ance -ance — more at grieve

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

grievance

noun

griev·​ance ˈgrē-vən(t)s 

1

: a cause of distress giving reason for complaint

2

: the formal expression of a grievance : complaint

Legal Definition

grievance

noun

griev·​ance ˈgrē-vəns 

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