stigmatize

Definition of stigmatizenext
as in to label
usually disapproving to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval a legal system that stigmatizes juveniles as criminals

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stigmatize Those gender-specific displays can feel intimidating or stigmatizing to some men, Horvath said. Luke Fountain, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026 Try to de-stigmatize healthy needs. Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026 When snowboarding was first created, mountains banned snowboards from ski lifts because they were stigmatized by association with outcasts and misfits. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026 Local community leaders have urged officials and the public not to stigmatize Somali Americans in the state, warning against conflating alleged crimes by a handful of defendants with more than 80,000 people of Somali descent in the Twin Cities. Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 19 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stigmatize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigmatize
Verb
  • Tyrese Haliburton plainly labelled Pretti’s death a murder.
    Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Once labeled, the consequences are immediate and devastating.
    Hiba Rahim, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Current clinical guidelines do not specify the optimal amount of time they should be taken for.
    The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Unsweetened baking chocolate is not suited for all baking and should be used only when specified.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The urge to brand those of opposing views as evil and out to destroy the country are too great to resist, sadly.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Some high-ranking administration officials had branded Pretti a domestic terrorist even as videos of the encounter contradicted their narrative.
    Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Give staff a point person to contact Every workplace should designate an onsite manager to be an immigration point person, Stevenson said.
    Jeanne Sahadi, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Local squadrons had to arrest a certain number of citizens so they could be designated enemies of the people.
    M. Gessen, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • He is not being named because he hasn't been charged with a crime.
    Megan De Mar, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Matt Byrne is the Bob Holt Razorback Reporter, named in honor of the longtime reporter who covered University of Arkansas sports.
    Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In the first few weeks of 2026, three people were shot and killed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, prompting nationwide outrage and calls for the agency to be defunded and for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be abolished.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 2 Feb. 2026
  • The body naturally makes a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, which helps to regulate appetite and food intake.
    Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That denotes real cash generation.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • The second definition denotes less formal and often more partisan armed groups that operate outside of the state’s regular security sector.
    Erica De Bruin, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • One trustee, Keys Allen, is termed out, and another spot — Alina Mullen’s — has been unoccupied for months.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Netflix, running what might be termed Operation Reassure Wall Street, has recently made Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters available to consumer media outlets with sizable finance and entertainment audiences.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stigmatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigmatize. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on stigmatize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!