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griev·ance

(grēvəns)

a. An actual or supposed circumstance regarded as just cause for complaint.

b. A complaint or protestation based on such a circumstance: The warden addressed the inmates' grievances.

2. Indignation or resentment stemming from a feeling of having been wronged.

3. Obsolete

a. The act of inflicting hardship or harm.

b. The cause of hardship or harm.

[Middle English grevaunce, from Old French grevance, from grever, to harm; see GRIEVE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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