What does grievance mean?
A grievance is a complaint that someone has been treated unfairly, unjustly, or improperly. The word can refer either to the complaint itself or to the resulting feeling of resentment. In everyday conversation, it is often used when a person believes that a rule, decision, or action was unfair. In employment, legal, and institutional settings, a grievance may be a formal complaint submitted through an established procedure. The term has a more serious and accusatory tone than a simple complaint and often implies a perceived wrong that deserves acknowledgment or remedy. Grievance is especially useful when describing a complaint grounded in alleged injustice rather than ordinary disappointment. Its history also gives it an unusually vivid basis: the word ultimately comes from Latin roots meaning “heavy” and “to weigh down,” reflecting the idea of a burden or weight pressing on someone.
nounA complaint that someone has been treated unfairly or unjustly; by extension, the feeling of resentment caused by such treatment.
- A complaint that someone has been treated unfairly, unjustly, or improperly.
- A feeling of resentment or dissatisfaction arising from perceived unfair treatment.
"Several employees raised a grievance about the company's new scheduling policy."
"She voiced her grievance about the delay to the management."
"Years of exclusion had left him with a deep sense of grievance."
"The union presented a formal grievance on behalf of its members."
The plural is used for multiple complaints, grievances, or grounds for complaint.
"Employees raised several grievances about pay, scheduling, and working conditions."
Grievance began with the idea of weight: its Latin ancestor meant “heavy,” suggesting a complaint heavy enough to press down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of grievance
English borrowed grievance during the Middle English period from Anglo-French and Old French forms meaning complaint or injury. These forms came from Latin roots including gravis, meaning “heavy,” and gravare, meaning “to weigh down,” so the word developed from the idea of weight or burden into a complaint about wrong. Its relatives include gravity, grievous, and gravid, while gravamen preserves a related Latin sense of a weighty or serious charge.
Related word forms
How grievance is actually used
The word is countable and normally implies an alleged unfairness or wrong. It is neutral in legal and formal contexts, but in everyday criticism it can sound accusatory or suggest that a complaint is exaggerated.
Easily confused with grievance
A grievance is a complaint or sense of unfair treatment, whereas grievous describes something serious, painful, or likely to cause grief.