A grievance is a real or perceived wrong, injustice, or cause for complaint that a person or group believes they have suffered. Here's a breakdown of its key meanings:
Core Meaning
A grievance is any situation where someone feels they have been treated unfairly, harmed, or wronged - whether by a person, organization, system, or policy.
Common Contexts
1. Everyday / General Use
A personal feeling of resentment or dissatisfaction. For example: "He harbored a grievance against his former employer."
2. Workplace / HR
A formal complaint made by an employee about working conditions, treatment, pay, or policy violations. Most organizations have a grievance procedure - a structured process to raise and resolve such complaints.
3. Legal / Political
An official complaint or claim that one's rights have been violated. The U.S. First Amendment, for example, protects the right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
4. Labor Relations
In unions, a grievance is a formal dispute filed when an employer allegedly violates a collective bargaining agreement.
Key Characteristics
| Feature | Description |
|---|
| Real or perceived | A grievance can be based on an actual wrong or just a feeling of injustice |
| Formal or informal | Can be a casual complaint or an official documented claim |
| Individual or collective | One person or a whole group can hold a grievance |
Related Words
- Complaint - more casual, less serious
- Grievance redressal - the process of addressing and resolving grievances
- Aggrieved - the adjective describing someone who has a grievance
In short: a grievance is a sense of injustice - the feeling that something unfair has been done to you, often with an expectation that it should be corrected.