stigmatize
verb
stig·ma·tize
ˈstig-mə-ˌtīz 
stigmatized; stigmatizing; stigmatizes
1
a
: to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval
"… Academic ableism accentuates ability and stigmatizes any weakness. …"—
Michele Cooke
Michele CookeThe campaign strives to educate individuals and communities about mental illness to the point where they understand it well enough not to stigmatize it, which is similar to what's happened with physical illnesses over time.—MacKenzie Tastan
MacKenzie TastanAlcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use problems are considered diseases like any other, but are stigmatized as moral failure by many.—Marcelo Campos
Marcelo Campos
b
archaic
: brand
2
: to mark with stigmata
Examples of stigmatize in a Sentence
a legal system that stigmatizes juveniles as criminals
Recent Examples on the Web
Even in an era that champions workplace equality, the path to the C-suite still stigmatizes motherhood, framing it as a career detour rather than a leadership accelerator.
—Patricia Nagy, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Kendra’s Law stigmatizes mental health concerns, contributes to mistrust of health care systems, disproportionately burdens communities of color, and often prioritizes compliance over healing.
—Ruth Lowenkron, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
With solo reservations on the rise but many restaurants still restricting tables to two or more, solitary Americans often feel left out or stigmatized.
—Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Yes, but: Trump administration officials such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have stigmatized disabilities by falsely linking vaccines to conditions such as autism, advocates say.
—Axios, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigmatize
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Patricia Nagy, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Kendra’s Law stigmatizes mental health concerns, contributes to mistrust of health care systems, disproportionately burdens communities of color, and often prioritizes compliance over healing.
—Ruth Lowenkron, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2025
With solo reservations on the rise but many restaurants still restricting tables to two or more, solitary Americans often feel left out or stigmatized.
—Priya Krishna, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Yes, but: Trump administration officials such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have stigmatized disabilities by falsely linking vaccines to conditions such as autism, advocates say.
—Axios, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stigmatize
Cite this Entry
“Stigmatize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stigmatize. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stigmatize
verb
stig·ma·tize
ˈstig-mə-ˌtīz
stigmatized; stigmatizing
: to mark with a stigma
especially
: to describe or identify as disgraceful
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