grievance
noun
griev·ance
ˈgrē-vən(t)s 
1
: 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.
2
: the formal expression of a grievance : complaint
filed a grievance against her employer
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 on the Web
Still, Trump kept Republicans nervous by mixing in messages of grievance up until the very end of the race, veering off a script on inflation and immigration that operatives believed was more effective in winning over persuadable voters.
—
Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Trump ran a campaign that stoked culture war grievances and divisions, and was defined by lies, a desire for vengeance, and, at times, threatening rhetoric.
—Tess Owen, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2024
In an election with historic political division, Osborn is marketing himself as a candidate with no allegiance to either party, often expressing his grievances over partisan gridlocks and ineffectiveness on Capitol Hill.
—Maya Marchel Hoff, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Four years later, when Trump was running against another white man, majorities of Republicans agreed that both society has become too soft and feminine and that society punishes men just for acting like men, tapping into a particular brand of male/masculine grievance.
—Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievance 
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Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Trump ran a campaign that stoked culture war grievances and divisions, and was defined by lies, a desire for vengeance, and, at times, threatening rhetoric.
—Tess Owen, WIRED, 6 Nov. 2024
In an election with historic political division, Osborn is marketing himself as a candidate with no allegiance to either party, often expressing his grievances over partisan gridlocks and ineffectiveness on Capitol Hill.
—Maya Marchel Hoff, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Four years later, when Trump was running against another white man, majorities of Republicans agreed that both society has become too soft and feminine and that society punishes men just for acting like men, tapping into a particular brand of male/masculine grievance.
—Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievance
Dictionary Entries Near grievance
Cite this Entry
“Grievance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievance. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grievance
noun
griev·ance
ˈgrē-vən(t)s
1
: a cause of distress giving reason for complaint
2
: the formal expression of a grievance : complaint
Legal Definition
grievance
noun
griev·ance
ˈgrē-vəns
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
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