grievance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.

   [T]he King is vveary / Of daintie and ſuch picking greeuances, / For he hath found, to end one doubt by death, / Reuiues tvvo greater in the heires of life: […]

2. 2
   noun

   Feelings of being wronged; outrage; resentment, bitterness or anger.

   The issues of harassment and/or bullying was the top common source of grievance, followed by discipline, and then new working practices.

3. 3
   noun

   A formal complaint, especially in the context of a unionized workplace.

   If you want the problem fixed, you'll have to file a grievance with the city.

4. 4
   noun

   Violation of regulations or objectionable behavior.

   Indeed I do confess, that many times I have showed myself both less provident and less paiful for the benefit of the commonwealth, tha I should, or might, or intended to do hereafter; and have in many actions more respected the satisfying of my own particular humour, than either justice to some private persons, or the common good of all ; yet I did not at any time either omit duty or commit grievance, upon natural dulness or set malice; but partly by abuse of corrupt counsellors, partly by error of my youthful judgement.

5. 5
   noun

   a complaint about a (real or imaginary) wrong that causes resentment and is grounds for action

6. 6
   noun

   an allegation that something imposes an illegal obligation or denies some legal right or causes injustice

7. 7
   noun

   a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation

8. 8
   noun

   Something which causes grief.

Etymology

From Old French grievance, from the verb grever (“to irritate; to bother; to annoy”) + -ance, equivalent to grieve + -ance.