grievance

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noun griev·ance \ˈgrē-vən(t)s\

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

Driving the agenda are grievances each country wants the other to address.

— matthew lee, The Seattle Times, "US-Russia talks resume; Moscow demands dachas’ return," 17 July 2017
While Avripas brought up Russian-ties, sexism, and racism as reasons for protesting Trump's presidency, those in attendance all came with their own personal grievances.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Detroiters join thousands across the U.S. calling for Trump impeachment," 2 July 2017
History suggests that, despite the party members’ grievances, this is exceedingly unlikely.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Why Trump’s Misogyny Could Endanger His Presidency," 30 June 2017
Over the next few years the conflict raged over regional, ethnic and religious grievances.

— pat mcdonogh, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville immigrants share stories of terror, love and courage on their road to America," 29 June 2017
With the deadline looming, Al Thani said the only resolution is through negotiation, with the bloc submitting evidence for its grievances.

— nafeesa syeed, Bloomberg.com, "Saudis Leading `Inhuman Siege' on Qatar, Foreign Minister Says," 29 June 2017
Amid other celebrations, like Pride, some citizens are taking this opportunity to air grievances with the country’s long-standing issues and its current government.

— pablo mhanna-sandoval, Teen Vogue, "Justin Trudeau Attends Pride While Funding an Anti-LGBTQ Regime," 29 June 2017
But most Berkeley students have zero interest in being part of a standoff between two radical factions whose grievances have everything to do with their own egos and nothing to do with the stakes of this critical moment.

— melissa batchelor warnke, Town & Country, "One Berkeley Student on Why Violent Protesters Don't Represent the Mood on Campus," 28 June 2017
In October 2015, the NFLPA filed a grievance against the NFL over reports that teams had been using sensors to monitor players’ sleeping habits.

— tom taylor, The MMQB, "Football’s Next Frontier: The Battle Over Big Data," 27 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

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

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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

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noun griev·ance \ˈgrē-vəns\

Definition of grievance for Students

: a reason for complaining

Law Dictionary

grievance

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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