complaint

[kuhm-pleynt]

noun

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.

complaint

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• countercomplaint noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of complaint¹

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

Example Sentences

Unnamed sources told Variety that Brown’s complaint was investigated and the matter subsequently resolved.

Read more on Salon

The brand’s account apologized and asked for her to DM with more details, seeming to believe it was a real complaint.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One of the daughters of Jacob Zuma, South Africa's former president, has filed a criminal complaint against her sister, accusing her of recruiting men from South Africa and Botswana to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Read more on BBC

There has also been an effort to make security forces more professional, including a complaints system for people forced to pay bribes.

Read more on Barron's

It wasn’t surprising to see complaints about the agreement from labor groups and other economic isolationists.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.