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 late 2010, two people complained to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, which handles grievances related to IFC projects, about water pollution, soil pollution and foul smells from the Santo Domingo facilities. —Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Another familiar image of American grievances, an engraving of the 1770 Boston Massacre, predates the conflict by five years. —Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2025

But when Trump refused to do his bidding by pressuring Congress to remove unfavorable policies (to his businesses) from a recent budget proposal, Musk packed up, left and did what any crazy ex would do: air out their grievances. —Maximo Bratter, Sun Sentinel, 30 June 2025

Since their royal exit, the couple has aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 June 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