stigma
/ˈstɪɡmə/noun
stigma is spelled S-T-I-G-M-A: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 4.9 times per million words in written English, the 11,373rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, stigma means “An indication of infamy or disgrace” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of stigma is stigmata or stigmas.
How many letters and syllables are in stigma?
| Letters | 6: S-T-I-G-M-A |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.9 times per million words; the 11,373rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is stigma?
Stigma appears 4.9 times per million words in written English, the 11,373rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce stigma?
- /ˈstɪɡmə/
Stigma has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-stigma.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of stigma
- stigmata plural
- stigmas plural
- stigmat
- stigmate
- stigme
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stigma mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An indication of infamy or disgrace.
- 2
A permanent identity mark branded, cut or tattooed onto the skin, typically given to slaves, criminals and traitors.
- 3
A negative and often unfair attitude (held by a group or society, to something).
- 4
A mark on the body corresponding to one of the wounds of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and sometimes reported to bleed periodically.
- 5
rareAn expression or behaviour revealing one's hidden feelings.
- 6
A scar or birthmark.
- 7
The sticky part of a flower that receives pollen during pollination.
- 8
A visible sign or characteristic of a disease.
- 9
A ligature of the Greek letters sigma and tau: Ϛ / ϛ.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stigma in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | stigmate , stigma |
| German | Stigma , Mal, Muttermal , Narbe |
| Portuguese | estigma , chaga |
| Spanish | estigma, sambenito , antojo, marca de nacimiento |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does stigma come from?
From Latin stigma, from Ancient Greek στίγμα (stígma, “mark of slavery or disgrace”), from στίζω (stízō, “to mark”). Closely related to stigme, and distantly related to stick.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).