complaint

American  

[kuhm-pleynt] / kəmˈpleɪnt /

noun

complaints plural

1. an expression of discontent, regret, pain, censure, resentment, or grief; lament; faultfinding.

   his complaint about poor schools.

2. a cause of discontent, pain, grief, lamentation, etc.

3. a cause of bodily pain or ailment; malady.

   The doctor says I suffer from a rare complaint.

   Synonyms:

   ailment, illness, sickness

4. Law. the first pleading of the plaintiff in a civil action, stating the cause of action.

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complaint British  

/ kəmˈpleɪnt /

noun

1. the act of complaining; an expression of grievance

2. a cause for complaining; grievance

3. a mild ailment

4. English law a statement by which a civil proceeding in a magistrates' court is commenced

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Usage

What does complaint mean? A complaint is a statement about something you’re unhappy or upset about. It has more specific meanings in legal and medical contexts. Complaint is the noun form of the verb complain. In legal terms, a complaint is the document that officially initiates a legal proceeding. In medicine, it refers to a symptom or cause of pain as reported by a patient. Example: I liked the movie, but my one complaint is that the women in the cast didn’t get enough screen time.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• countercomplaint
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• complaints
  plural

Etymology

Origin of complaint

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English compleynte, from Middle French complainte, from Latin com- com- + plancta plaint

Explanation

A complaint is an objection to something that is unfair, unacceptable, or otherwise not up to normal standards. If your neighbors have a complaint about noise, they want you to be more quiet. A complaint is voiced objection to something, like a complaint about cold or disgusting-tasting food in a restaurant. Complaint is also a legal term — the plaintiff's reasons for bringing a civil action. Medically speaking, a complaint is a disorder or disease that is hard to cure completely. Loud cries of pain, anger, or sadness can also be called complaints.

Example Sentences

The Second Circuit also found that trading records attached to the complaint showed that Hudson Bay’s end-of-day beneficial ownership always remained under 10%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

Bay Club employees called both of the toddler’s parents, and Kittle was notified that C.K. had fallen but had since calmed down, according to the complaint.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

After Monday's meeting, trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri told a press conference that Rai and another official, Anil Mishra, had resigned after police lodged a complaint on 25 June.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Doha later summoned Iran's deputy ambassador to lodge a complaint, demanding an explanation and urging Tehran to "immediately cease any practices undermining regional security."

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

How lonely it must have been to live twenty-some years with such a disease, to persist without complaint as your body is slowly and inexorably consumed.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• accusation
• charge
• criticism
• grievance
• gripe
• objection
• protest
• trouble