stigmatize

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to describe or treat a person or group as shameful, disgraceful, or socially unacceptable

   Public campaigns should not stigmatize people who seek mental-health care.

2. 2
   verb

   to mark with a stigma, scar, or sign of disgrace

   Earlier societies sometimes stigmatized offenders with a visible brand.

Borrowed from Medieval Latin stigmatizare, from Greek stigmatizein, 'to mark or brand,' based on stigma, 'a puncture, tattoo mark, or brand.' The modern social sense treats disgrace as a figurative mark.

Topics