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stigma

Definitions of Stigma

  1. (noun) The social phenomenon or process whereby individuals that are taken to be different in some way are rejected by the greater society in with they live based on that difference.
  2. (noun) Labels that associate people with unfavorable or disapproved behavior and characteristics.

Stigma Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: stig·ma

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /stIgmUH/
  • British English – /stIgmUH/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈstɪɡmə/
  • British English – /ˈstɪɡmə/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: stigmas
  • While stigma is typically seen as negative, it can also be seen as “positive” i.e. something that benefits an individual (e.g., praise for being wealthy or beautiful).
  • Also called social stigma.

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Works Consulted

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Cite the Definition of Stigma

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “stigma.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 10, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/stigma/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

stigma. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/stigma/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “stigma.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 10, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/stigma/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“stigma.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/stigma/>.