complainant
Americannoun
-
complainants
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of complainant
1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French compleignant (present participle of compleindre ). See complain, -ant
Explanation
In law, the person who accuses someone else of wrongdoing is sometimes called the complainant. You are the complainant if you sue your neighbor for building a chicken coop on your property. Although there are some technical differences in the way legal experts use the terms, a complainant is essentially the same as a plaintiff. They're both ways to refer to an accuser, or someone bringing an official grievance against someone else. Since the 15th century, complainant has been used to mean "one who makes a formal complaint in court, " from complain.
Vocabulary lists containing complainant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On Friday, the jury heard from witnesses associated with the complainant who gave evidence on Thursday.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The complainant said they had both gone back to a hotel room.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The complainant said she deleted "I love you" texts exchanged with Hayler after he allegedly told her to get rid of them.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
There is a publication ban in place protecting the identity of the complainant.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Not only did it usually fill space and send the complainant away happy, it made us look honest.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Kieran Maguire, professor of football finance at the University of Liverpool, told BBC Sport it would be considered a "denial of an opportunity" by complainants.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Around 20 complainants had argued that those adverts glamorised violence and knife crime, but the watchdog ruled the imagery was highly stylised and clearly reflected the fictional nature of the film.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
He will now face another court hearing on July 29-30, which could see him and the six other complainants ordered to pay substantial legal costs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
It said that it would help the 18 complainants to get debt relief within existing mechanisms under Cambodian law.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
As the government of Saxe-Weimar then allowed the press greater freedom than other German states, many complainants selected this journal as their organ.
From The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 3, October, 1851 by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
