1. a mark of disgrace or shame associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person
2. the part of a flower’s pistil that receives pollen during pollination
Usage: botanical
3. a mark or sign of disease
Usage: medical

Examples

• There is still a stigma attached to mental illness in many communities.
• She worked to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction.
• The stigma of bankruptcy followed him for years.
• The bee landed on the flower’s stigma to deposit pollen.
• Botanists study how pollen grains adhere to the stigma.
• The doctor looked for any stigma that might indicate infection.
• Breaking the stigma requires education and understanding.