Standard Lemma guide

stigmatize

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈstɪɡmətaɪz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T IH1 G M AH0 T AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To characterize as disgraceful or ignominious; to mark with a stigma or stigmata.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: destigmatize

2

verb

Meaning 2

mark with a stigma or stigmata

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They wanted to stigmatize the adulteress

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stigmatise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mark

3

verb

Meaning 3

to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He denounced the government action
  • She was stigmatized by society because she had a child out of wedlock

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stigmatise, brand, denounce, mark

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: label

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg-der. Proto-Hellenic *stiďďō Ancient Greek στῐ́ζω (stĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma) Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ίζω (-ízō) Ancient Greek στιγματίζω (stigmatízō)bor. Medieval Latin stigmatizōbor. English stigmatize Borrowed from Medieval Latin stigmatizō (“to brand”), borrowed from Ancient Greek στιγματίζω (stigmatízō), from στίγμα (stígma) + -ίζω (-ízō).

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: stigmatizoj — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Arabic: وَصَمَ (waṣama) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Armenian: խարանել (xaranel) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Bulgarian: заклеймявам (zaklejmjavam) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Bulgarian: дамгосвам (damgosvam) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Catalan: estigmatitzar — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Finnish: leimata — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Finnish: stigmatisoida — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • French: stigmatiser — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • German: stigmatisieren — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • German: brandmarken — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Greek: στιγματίζω (stigmatízo) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Hungarian: megbélyegez — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Hungarian: stigmatizál — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Italian: stigmatizzare — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Japanese: 呼ばわりする (yobawari suru) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Japanese: 非難する (hinan suru) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Norwegian Bokmål: stigmatisere — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: stigmatisere — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Persian: انگ زدن — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Polish: stygmatyzować — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Portuguese: estigmatizar — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Russian: клейми́ть (klejmítʹ) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Spanish: estigmatizar — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Spanish: sambenitar — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Swedish: stigmatisera — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Swedish: brännmärka — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious
  • Ukrainian: таврува́ти (tavruváty) — to characterize as disgraceful or ignominious