macroaggression

M3A1C3R1O1A1G2G2R1E1S1S1I1O1N1

noun

Large-scale or overt aggression toward those of a certain race, culture, gender, etc., contrasted with microaggression.

Scrabble 21

Meanings

nounmacroaggression (countable and uncountable, plural macroaggressions)

plural macroaggressions

  1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesLarge-scale or overt aggression toward those of a certain race, culture, gender, etc., contrasted with microaggression.

    These are juxtaposed with brutal news footage and Isis YouTube propaganda. Here are the alienations and macroaggressions of the contemporary world.

    2018 May 11, Peter Bradshaw, “The Image Book review – Godard's eyeball-frazzling video essay bewilders and delights”, in The Guardian
    2 more examples

    People of color, particularly African-American men, have been caught up in a twister of macroaggressions and micro ones. No amount of ignoring can alleviate it; no amount of achieving can ameliorate it.

    2015 January 5, Charles M. Blow, “Privilege of ‘Arrest Without Incident’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    They meet microaggression with macroaggression, bullying kids and adults who, say, refer to the transgender reality star Caitlyn Jenner as anything less than “stunning and brave.”

    2015 December 8, James Poniewozik, “How ‘South Park’ Perfectly Captures Our Era of Outrage”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*meh₂ḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*mh₂ḱrós
  3. Proto-Hellenic*makrós
  4. Ancient Greekμᾰκρός (măkrós)
  5. Frenchmacro-
  6. Englishmacro-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  8. Proto-Italic*ad
  9. Proto-Italic*ad-
  10. Latinad-
  11. Proto-Indo-European*gʰredʰ-
  12. Latingradior
  13. Latinaggredior
  14. Latinaggressiō
  15. Middle Frenchaggression
  16. Englishaggression
  17. Englishmacroaggression

From macro- + aggression.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

macroaggression. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macroaggression

MLA

“macroaggression.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macroaggression. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “macroaggression,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/macroaggression.

Source: macroaggression on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.