as in labeled
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
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Recent Examples of stigmatized
To many adults who’d grown up in a world in which LGBTQ people were stigmatized and sidelined, this visibility felt groundbreaking.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Endometriosis has long been stigmatized and patient pain often explained away through other diagnoses, with the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis lasting four to 11 years.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
It is steeped in the history of exclusion, when Chinese women were stigmatized as prostitutes and a menace to public health.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
For example, research on fashion consumption has shown how wearing a veil, once widely stigmatized in urban and secular settings, gradually became seen as ordinary and even fashionable as more women openly adopted it.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Fernando Gonzalez, the filmmaker behind Dante, believes psychedelics are becoming less stigmatized as more Americans realize their value as legitimate medication.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
Dupes have been around for decades in beauty, but the category saw a shift when TikTok went mainstream in 2020, and opting for dupes became not only less stigmatized by consumers across income levels, but for some, even recognized as a sign of beauty savvy and know-how.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Lesotho is poor, and AIDS is stigmatized.
—Majirata Latela, The Dial, 13 Jan. 2026
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Endometriosis has long been stigmatized and patient pain often explained away through other diagnoses, with the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis lasting four to 11 years.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
It is steeped in the history of exclusion, when Chinese women were stigmatized as prostitutes and a menace to public health.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
For example, research on fashion consumption has shown how wearing a veil, once widely stigmatized in urban and secular settings, gradually became seen as ordinary and even fashionable as more women openly adopted it.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Fernando Gonzalez, the filmmaker behind Dante, believes psychedelics are becoming less stigmatized as more Americans realize their value as legitimate medication.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
Dupes have been around for decades in beauty, but the category saw a shift when TikTok went mainstream in 2020, and opting for dupes became not only less stigmatized by consumers across income levels, but for some, even recognized as a sign of beauty savvy and know-how.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Lesotho is poor, and AIDS is stigmatized.
—Majirata Latela, The Dial, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigmatized
Verb
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Elsewhere on Reddit, in what is labeled an Oracle employees group, there was discussion about job cuts in Canada, India and the United States over the last week.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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And the deepfake usages, while clearly labeled as satire when Deep Voodoo does it, can still contribute to a culture of mistrust online.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mamdani received intense backlash over the appeal from advocacy groups, who branded the flip-flop a betrayal.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Although not Laevo-branded, the result is consistent with Laevo’s claims.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No back orders, unless specified by the individual vendor.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The nationality of the third was not specified.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prediction market betting has come up in the governor’s race to succeed Newsom, who is termed out of office and cannot run again after this year.—
Lia Russell
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Aside from what might be best termed an accidental run to the 2024 Final Four, the Wolfpack has spent decades trying and failing to keep up with its Tobacco Road brethren.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The clip, shared by her owner, shows the golden retriever—now named Kaiko—settling into a bedroom on what was described as her very first night living indoors.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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San Diego State’s Ava Schaffel was named the Mountain West conference pitcher of the week for allowing two runs on four hits in 9 2/3 innings over two games, although the Aztecs (19-15, 4-5) lost two of three games at New Mexico.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stigmatized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigmatized. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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