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
The resolution was presented by Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones, who aired his grievances on X following the decision.
—
Xander Zellner, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
The fuzziness of the details allowed the episode to travel across cultural and political lines, turning one Egyptian American Muslim’s experience into a symbol for anyone with a grievance against the federal government.
—Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievance 
Xander Zellner, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
The fuzziness of the details allowed the episode to travel across cultural and political lines, turning one Egyptian American Muslim’s experience into a symbol for anyone with a grievance against the federal government.
—Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievance
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grievance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near grievance
Cite this Entry
“Grievance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievance. Accessed 18 Apr. 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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