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
Worse still, the new tech might become a lightning rod for various unrelated grievances in the company.
—
Claus Jepsen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
To those points and like other major pro leagues, the NBA requires that teams resolve their grievances against one another in a private arbitration forum overseen by the commissioner.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Cuomo, in a 17-minute video, cited his record and ticked off a series of grievances about the city in a veiled dig at Adams without naming him.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025
Among other grievances, the document reported bans at UCSF and UC Davis against handing out leaflets within 50 feet of a university doorway.
—Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievance
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Claus Jepsen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
To those points and like other major pro leagues, the NBA requires that teams resolve their grievances against one another in a private arbitration forum overseen by the commissioner.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Cuomo, in a 17-minute video, cited his record and ticked off a series of grievances about the city in a veiled dig at Adams without naming him.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025
Among other grievances, the document reported bans at UCSF and UC Davis against handing out leaflets within 50 feet of a university doorway.
—Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievance
Cite this Entry
“Grievance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievance. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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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