microaggression
Any small-scale verbal or physical interaction between those of different races, cultures, beliefs, or genders that may have no malicious intent, but that can be interpreted as an aggression.
Noun
- Any small-scale verbal or physical interaction between those of different races, cultures, beliefs, or genders that may have no malicious intent, but that can be interpreted as an aggression.
- Near-synonyms: microassault, microinequity, microinsult, microinvalidation, nanoaggression
- At McGill, someone has established a McGill Microaggressions website inviting students and staff to report instances of “sexism, heteropatriarchy, transphobia, classism, racism [and] ableism.” - 2014 February 18, Graeme...
- Two terms have risen quickly from obscurity into common campus parlance. Microaggressions are small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of...
Synonyms: microassault microinequity microinsult microinvalidation nanoaggression
Origin
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós)der. English micro- Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *gʰredʰ-der. Latin gradior Latin aggredior Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin aggressiōder. Middle French aggressionbor. English aggression English microaggression From micro- + aggression, coined by American psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce in 1970.
Forms
Related
macroaggression microaggress microaggressive microaggressor microinvalidate