伸冤 literally means 'to extend/bring forth (伸) a grievance or injustice (冤)'. The character 伸 conveys the idea of stretching out, making visible, or asserting something that was suppressed; 冤 refers specifically to an unjust accusation, wrongful suffering, or a miscarriage of justice — often implying deep emotional pain and moral violation. Together, 伸冤 expresses the active effort to seek redress for such wrongs, typically through formal channels like courts, petitions, or public appeals.

This term carries strong emotional and ethical weight and is commonly used in legal, historical, or literary contexts — for example, when describing victims of wrongful imprisonment, corruption, or social injustice demanding fairness. It implies not just complaint but a morally grounded demand for truth and restoration. While it can appear in modern news reports, it’s also frequent in classical Chinese opera and literature where characters suffer false accusations and later clear their names.