ˈstig-mə-tə
Bob GaydosBrian X. ChenPaul Taylor
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Stigma was borrowed from Latin stigmat- , stigma, meaning "mark, brand," and ultimately comes from Greek stizein, meaning "to tattoo." Earliest English use hews close to the word's origin: stigma in English first referred to a scar left by a hot iron—that is, a brand. In modern use the scar is figurative: stigma most often refers to a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something—for example, people talk about the stigma associated with mental illness, or the stigma of poverty. When the plural form stigmata is used, the context is frequently religious: stigmata typically refers to bodily marks or pains resembling the wounds of the crucified Jesus and sometimes accompanying religious ecstasy. The first person said to have experienced this miraculous infliction of stigmata is St. Francis of Assisi, in the 13th century.
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Examples of stigma in a Sentence
Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
The stigma changed after artists didn’t need validation from a major label before growing their fanbase.
—Eric Diep, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024
After Tesla dropped the price of Cybertruck last month, the pickup finally began to shed its outlandish cost stigma.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Some career experts say the corporate stigma against job-hopping is outdated, as long as your resume doesn’t show an excessive track record of it.
—Natalie Wu,tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Stigma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stigma. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stigma
noun
ˈstig-mət-ə
or stigmas
Medical Definition
stigma
noun
ˈstig-mət-ə
or stigmas
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