What does "stigma" mean?
An indication of infamy or disgrace.
Stigma
/ˈstɪɡmə/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An indication of infamy or disgrace.
- Grammar: stigma is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abscess, androecium, anther, aposteme.
- Useful contrasts: acceptance, anther, cachets.
- Usage evidence: We have to try to do away with the stigma behind many of society's ills. Shaming will only make things worse.
How to use "stigma"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stigma" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stigma" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stigma" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stigma" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stigma" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abscess" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stigma", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An indication of infamy or disgrace.
"But to have as an enforced dining companion a man who was probably a Papist, certainly a rake, and bore the stigma of cowardice, was anathema."
- 2 A ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ.
- 3 a skin lesion that is a diagnostic sign of some disease wordnet
- 4 An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A permanent identity mark branded, cut or tattooed onto the skin, typically given to slaves, criminals and traitors. historical
- 5 an external tracheal aperture in a terrestrial arthropod wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A negative and often unfair attitude (held by a group or society, to something). figuratively
"Yet, because of the stigma around nursing home placement, it is hard to find advocates from among the natural advocacy groups the families. You don't see families organized around long-term care as you do around specific diseases."
- 7 a symbol of disgrace or infamy wordnet
- 8 An indication of infamy or disgrace.; A mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and sometimes reported to bleed periodically.
- 9 the apical end of the style where deposited pollen enters the pistil wordnet
- 10 An indication of infamy or disgrace.; An expression or behaviour revealing one's hidden feelings. figuratively, poetic, rare
"Bradly scowled - the stigmata of alarm. What ultimate threat to his peace and privacy did this dropping in by young Podson imply?"
- 11 A scar or birthmark.
- 12 The sticky part of a flower that receives pollen during pollination.
"Black crowberry. Empetrum nigrum. Crowberry Family. Fruit. — The black drupe is berrylike, globular, and incloses six to nine seedlike nutlets with a seed in each. The calyx is at the base and the stigma is at the apex. The drupes are solitary in the leaf axils. They are juicy, acid, edible, and serve as food for the Arctic birds."
- 13 A visible sign or characteristic of a disease.
- 14 Synonym of pterostigma.
Antonyms
Example
"We have to try to do away with the stigma behind many of society's ills. Shaming will only make things worse."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stigma"?
Common synonyms include: abscess, androecium, anther, aposteme, aspersion, attaint.
How do you use "stigma" in a sentence?
We have to try to do away with the stigma behind many of society's ills. Shaming will only make things worse.
How do you pronounce "stigma"?
Pronounced /ˈstɪɡmə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”), from στίζω (stízō, “to mark”). Closely related to stigme, and distantly related to stick.
Etymology 2
From Byzantine Greek στίγμα (stígma), likely coined by analogy with σίγμα (sígma).