as in labeling
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 stigmatizing
Anthropic sued, claiming the Pentagon is illegally retaliating by stigmatizing the company with a designation meant to protect against sabotage of national security systems by foreign adversaries.
—
ABC News, 31 May 2026
Using it as a vehicle for panic about the World Cup risks both stigmatizing affected populations and distracting attention from the practical preparedness measures that actually keep people safe.
—Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 28 May 2026
The changes aim to eliminate what officials described as stigmatizing language and reflect advances in preventative care.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Framing medical treatment as a failure of willpower ignores the science — potentially delaying and stigmatizing life-saving interventions.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But the situation in that city has also demonstrated MAGA’s methods for stigmatizing dissent.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Those gender-specific displays can feel intimidating or stigmatizing to some men, Horvath said.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
In 2021, the actress and comedian opened up further about her addiction and the importance of de-stigmatizing the topic.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 24 Nov. 2025
But economic eligibility systems are stigmatizing and difficult to navigate, Bailin said.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
ABC News, 31 May 2026
Using it as a vehicle for panic about the World Cup risks both stigmatizing affected populations and distracting attention from the practical preparedness measures that actually keep people safe.
—Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 28 May 2026
The changes aim to eliminate what officials described as stigmatizing language and reflect advances in preventative care.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Framing medical treatment as a failure of willpower ignores the science — potentially delaying and stigmatizing life-saving interventions.
—Jia Shen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But the situation in that city has also demonstrated MAGA’s methods for stigmatizing dissent.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Those gender-specific displays can feel intimidating or stigmatizing to some men, Horvath said.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
In 2021, the actress and comedian opened up further about her addiction and the importance of de-stigmatizing the topic.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 24 Nov. 2025
But economic eligibility systems are stigmatizing and difficult to navigate, Bailin said.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigmatizing
Verb
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After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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Merely by labelling the item as AI, a booming amount of vitriol was released.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Calfee tandems are custom-built, with consumers specifying nearly all components, at an average price of $20k.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
1 June 2026
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The attacks took place near Jiyeh, about 12 miles south of the capital, Lebanon's National News Agency said, without specifying if there were casualties.—
Khaled Wassef,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Iowa Republicans responded by branding Roberts a criminal and calling for an investigation of the district’s hiring practices.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
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Assigning LRDs a smaller size sidesteps the problem of nigh inexplicably overgrown black holes but only by branding them as an unprecedented, newfound celestial species—the black hole star.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Others, however, said naming the animal after the president was inappropriate.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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This response would have been noticeably incongruous with the time, and it would certainly be read as the intentions with which it was likely written, as naming a kind of politics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Verb
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With Vice Mayor Pam Foley terming out, five individuals are vying for her District 9 seat, which encompasses a southwestern portion in San Jose, including the Cambrian Park neighborhood.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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The district is the poorest the city, and the council race is expected to be one of the most competitive city contests this June, with the current council member, Curren Price, terming out.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Is the robot system better at calling balls and strikes than humans?—
Charley Walters,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
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Wildmon began calling Penland almost daily, asking if Universal was playing them.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stigmatizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigmatizing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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