Grievance
/ˈɡriːvəns/
Definitions
A feeling of resentment over something believed to be wrong or unfair.
/ˈɡriːvəns/
A real or imagined wrong or other cause for complaint or protest, especially unfair treatment.
The company has a formal grievance procedure for employees.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend takes your favorite toy without asking. A grievance is like having a reason to be upset because you feel something's unfair.
👶 For kids: When you're mad because something bad or unfair happened to you, that's a grievance!
More Examples
The union presented a list of grievances to management.
His main grievance was the lack of promotion opportunities.
The letter outlined the complainant's grievances.
How It's Used
"The employees filed a grievance against their employer."
"Citizens expressed their grievances during the town hall meeting."
"She held a long-standing grievance over the unfair decision."
Synonyms & Antonyms
From Old French *grevance* (complaint, injury), derived from *grever* (to burden, aggrieve), ultimately from Latin *gravis* (heavy, serious).
Used in legal and social contexts since the 13th century, often in formal complaints or appeals.
Memory tip
Think of a 'grieve' (feel sorrow) + -ance (a state). Grievance is the state of being sorrowful about a perceived wrong.
Word Origin
"heavy, serious"