Etymology

microaggression

M3I1C3R1O1A1G2G2R1E1S1S1I1O1N1

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

English aggression ← Middle French aggression ← Latin aggressiō
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-der.?
  2. Ancient Greekμῑκρός (mīkrós)
  3. Ancient Greekμῑκρο- (mīkro-)
  4. Englishmicro-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  6. Proto-Italic*ad
  7. Proto-Italic*ad-
  8. Latinad-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*gʰredʰ-
  10. Latingradior
  11. Latinaggredior
  12. Latinaggressiō
  13. Middle Frenchaggression
  14. Englishaggression
  15. English todaymicroaggression

From micro- + aggression, coined by American psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce in 1970.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.