Stigmatization
/ˌstɪɡ.mə.taɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of marking or branding someone or something as shameful, discrediting, or socially unacceptable.
Did you know?Its root goes back to Greek *stígma*, a literal “mark” or “tattoo,” and in Christian tradition it also named the miraculous wounds of Christ—so the word carries both sacred sign and social scar.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steig-
“to prick, stick, pierce”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στίζω (stízō) / στίγμα (stígma)
“to prick, mark; a prick mark, brand, or tattoo”
Late Latin
Latin
stigma
“a mark, brand, or puncture mark”
Middle French
Old French
stigmatisation
“the act of marking or branding”
Modern English
English
stigmatization
“the act of treating someone as socially discreditable or shameful”