BharatNotes Stigma
noun (plural stigmas, or stigmata in formal/medical and religious senses)Usage in a UPSC answer
Decriminalising attempted suicide was only a first step; unless the State invests in mental-health infrastructure and dismantles the deep-rooted social stigma surrounding psychological illness, vulnerable citizens will continue to suffer in silence.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
stigma (n), stigmata (n pl), stigmatize (v), stigmatized (adj), stigmatization (n), stigmatic (adj)
Root
Latin stigma = mark, brand; Greek stizein = to tattoo, to prick; Greek stigmat- = punctured mark
Etymology
From Latin stigma ("mark, brand"), from Greek stizein ("to tattoo"); originally referred to a physical mark branded or cut into the skin of slaves or criminals in ancient Greece and Rome.
Memory Hook
Stigma sounds like "STIG-MARK" — recall Greek stizein "to tattoo/brand": a stigma is an invisible brand of shame society burns onto a person.
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