Added 9 October 2026
grievance
/ˈɡɹiː.vəns/ noun
In Latin: querēla Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about grievance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A resentment strong enough to justify retaliation.
holding a grudge
- An allegation that something imposes an illegal obligation or denies some legal right or causes injustice.
- A complaint about a (real or imaginary) wrong that causes resentment and is grounds for action.
Origin
From Old French grievance, from the verb grever (“to irritate; to bother; to annoy”) + -ance, equivalent to grieve + -ance.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)