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:
The prosecutor, Jonathan Polnay KC, told the court that Gadd said in a police interview he did not know the complainant, and that the allegations against him were false.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
In a follow-up filing, the complainant cited FLAG’s timeline: a drawing originally set to run from January 2022 through December 2024 that had, by then, been pushed to run from December 2023 through January 2025.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
“I just want them to pay me back my hard earned money,” the complainant wrote, “since I am a retired senior citizen who happened to love this country.”
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
He referred to a letter written by Sir Jeffrey to the complainant in 2020, which the trial previously heard she believed was an apology for the alleged abuse.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
“No,” he said, “we have attempted to interview the so-called complainant and he denies that he was ever assaulted.”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Many complainants argued the imagery was distressing for both children and adults.
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
“The complainants portray complex situations of economic hardship and multidimensional cycles of poverty that do not stem from a single source,” the IFC said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Cross-examination of complainants to be pre-recorded and away from court.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
"Well, well, what are the letters all about?" asked Mr. Fulton, who did not like the attitude of the complainants.
From Marjorie's Busy Days by Carolyn Wells
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
