complaint
Americannoun
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complaints
plural
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an expression of discontent, regret, pain, censure, resentment, or grief; lament; faultfinding.
his complaint about poor schools.
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a cause of discontent, pain, grief, lamentation, etc.
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a cause of bodily pain or ailment; malady.
The doctor says I suffer from a rare complaint.
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Law. the first pleading of the plaintiff in a civil action, stating the cause of action.
noun
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the act of complaining; an expression of grievance
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a cause for complaining; grievance
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a mild ailment
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English law a statement by which a civil proceeding in a magistrates' court is commenced
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing complaint
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 15
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"The Clever Magistrate"
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"Pass It On," "If There Be Pain," and "Sonnet 30"
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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:
It said the investigation concluded that Carragher did not cover up any complaint concerning Jordan Linden.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Arizona’s attorney general filed a 20-count criminal complaint against the same company.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
In his complaint, Sharell states that McGraw told him he would remain in California, saying, “you’re Hollywood.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Bowie told the informant that she would "make it a point to have picnics by the capital to observe" and learn about security measures, the complaint alleges.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
My thoughts would compel utterance; and there, with no audience but the Almighty, I would pour out my soul’s complaint, in my rude way, with an apostrophe to the moving multitude of ships:—
From "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass
The regulator has received nearly 500 complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles that had already been serviced under recall, including nearly two dozen that required complete engine replacements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The trade inspired complaints that the team’s wealth was bad for the game, inspiring headlines such as this from the New Yorker: “Did the Dodgers Ruin Baseball?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The practice of requiring customers to opt-out or be charged is called negative-option billing, and it inspired no end of complaints from customers.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
After a mediocre launch last month, the analysts reckon that gamers’ biggest complaints include a steep learning curve at first, substantial time required for gameplay and not enough in-game rewards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
When the complaints began to include a dry snapping sound, Aziz’s worry became desperate.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
