stigma
stigma Lexical Profile
stigma Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mark of disgrace, social disapproval, or infamy associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.
"Public health campaigns have worked hard to reduce the social stigma surrounding mental illness."
In botany, the receptive tip of a carpel or pistil in the gynoecium of a flower, upon which pollen grains land and germinate during pollination.
"Honeybees brush against the sticky stigma at the center of the blossom, transferring pollen from one flower to another."
In Christian tradition (usually in the plural form 'stigmata'), bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.
"Historical accounts of Saint Francis of Assisi describe the appearance of sacred stigmata on his hands and feet."
In medicine and pathology, a visible lesion, spot, or characteristic physical sign on the body that is indicative of a specific disease or condition.
"During the physical examination, the physician checked the patient's skin for any vascular stigmas of chronic liver disease."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'stigmas' is the standard plural for the social sense (marks of disgrace) and botanical sense, the classical plural 'stigmata' is strictly used in religious contexts to refer to bodily marks resembling the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.
• Rhymes for stigma
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Latin from Ancient Greek 'stigma' ('a mark from a pointed instrument, puncture, tattoo, or brand'), derived from the verb 'stizein' ('to prick, tattoo, or brand'), as ancient Greeks and Romans branded enslaved people and criminals with hot irons.