The response of a lead zirconate titanate ceramic to statically applied uniaxial stresses in the range 0–0.4 GPa has been investigated. The material studied was a niobium‐doped composition with the chemical formula Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98O3. Properties measured as a function of stress include electrical charge release from poled specimens, ferroelectric hysteresis‐loop behavior, macroscopic strains, and ultrasonic velocities. Data from the experiments exhibit anomalous behavior at low‐stress levels (0.05–0.2 GPa). Comparison with similar data obtained under conditions of hydrostatic pressure indicate that the anomalies observed in the uniaxial‐stress experiments are caused by domain‐reorientation processes rather than by the ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition. This transition occurs at 0.32 GPa under hydrostatic‐pressure conditions, but no evidence for it is seen in the uniaxial‐stress measurements to 0.4 GPa. The relationship of the present results to other uniaxial‐stress studies and to shock‐wave studies on ferroelectric ceramics is discussed.