grievance
- 01 C1 Advanced
a formal complaint made by a worker to their employer because they feel they have been treated unfairly.
a formal complaint filed by an employee or union representative regarding a violation of a contract or unfair treatment.
Simple“The factory worker filed a formal grievance after his request for leave was denied.”
In context“The union representative advised the staff to file a collective grievance regarding the unsafe working conditions in the warehouse.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'file', 'lodge', or 'air'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a real or imagined reason for complaining about something.
the grounds or justification for a complaint; a specific instance of perceived injustice.
Simple“The committee met to listen to the students' grievances about the new rules.”
In context“The manifesto listed several historical grievances that the movement sought to address through legislative reform.”
“Strip away the specific manifestos, grievances and enemies, and what's underneath, in every case, is the same belief system.”
“It is because they want to stoke a sense of grievance among white supporters, and to pour scorn on diversity initiatives across the board.”
From Old French grievance, from the verb grever (“to irritate; to bother; to annoy”) + -ance, equivalent to grieve + -ance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.