as in labeled
usually disapproving
to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval
a legal system that stigmatizes juveniles as criminals
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Recent Examples of stigmatized
Attendees saw the event as a safe space to connect with others in the fandom, which has long been stigmatized.
—
Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
To many adults who’d grown up in a world in which LGBTQ people were stigmatized and sidelined, this visibility felt groundbreaking.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Endometriosis has long been stigmatized and patient pain often explained away through other diagnoses, with the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis lasting four to 11 years.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
It is steeped in the history of exclusion, when Chinese women were stigmatized as prostitutes and a menace to public health.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
For example, research on fashion consumption has shown how wearing a veil, once widely stigmatized in urban and secular settings, gradually became seen as ordinary and even fashionable as more women openly adopted it.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Fernando Gonzalez, the filmmaker behind Dante, believes psychedelics are becoming less stigmatized as more Americans realize their value as legitimate medication.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
Lesotho is poor, and AIDS is stigmatized.
—Majirata Latela, The Dial, 13 Jan. 2026
Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
To many adults who’d grown up in a world in which LGBTQ people were stigmatized and sidelined, this visibility felt groundbreaking.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Endometriosis has long been stigmatized and patient pain often explained away through other diagnoses, with the average diagnostic delay for endometriosis lasting four to 11 years.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
It is steeped in the history of exclusion, when Chinese women were stigmatized as prostitutes and a menace to public health.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
As a young schoolboy, Davidson was often cruelly stigmatized because no one had bothered to diagnose his disorder.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
For example, research on fashion consumption has shown how wearing a veil, once widely stigmatized in urban and secular settings, gradually became seen as ordinary and even fashionable as more women openly adopted it.
—Emily Tanner, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Fernando Gonzalez, the filmmaker behind Dante, believes psychedelics are becoming less stigmatized as more Americans realize their value as legitimate medication.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 22 Jan. 2026
Lesotho is poor, and AIDS is stigmatized.
—Majirata Latela, The Dial, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stigmatized
Verb
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Elsewhere on Reddit, in what is labeled an Oracle employees group, there was discussion about job cuts in Canada, India and the United States over the last week.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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And the deepfake usages, while clearly labeled as satire when Deep Voodoo does it, can still contribute to a culture of mistrust online.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The state has no income tax and no capital gains tax, and Miami in particular has branded itself as a business-friendly alternative to high-tax cities in California and elsewhere.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The hearings took place mid-pandemic, and Kathrin arrived in Vienna in her trademark black, wearing two face masks, one of them Glock branded, as well as plastic gloves.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No back orders, unless specified by the individual vendor.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Neither the email nor the announcement on the clinic’s website specified why the Fertility Center of Orlando was closing or whether McNichol would be among the employees continuing to provide care.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The capsule is relying on the gravity of Earth and the moon — termed a free-return lunar trajectory — to complete the round-trip figure-eight loop.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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This look is also termed the Cellophane.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The clip, shared by her owner, shows the golden retriever—now named Kaiko—settling into a bedroom on what was described as her very first night living indoors.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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San Diego State’s Ava Schaffel was named the Mountain West conference pitcher of the week for allowing two runs on four hits in 9 2/3 innings over two games, although the Aztecs (19-15, 4-5) lost two of three games at New Mexico.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stigmatized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stigmatized. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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