complaint

American  

[kuhm-pleynt] / kəmˈpleɪnt /

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.

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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

• countercomplaint noun

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

Of those, 22 went straight on to Israel, including three on FedEx planes registered in France, according to the complaint, whose authors claim that FedEx "must have known the contents".

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Lawyers for MacInnes have said she made no complaint to Wilson about the bath incident but that Wilson later used it as "leverage" in a dispute with producers about the film's budget and contracts.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

The Atlantic defended their reporting in a statement to the New York Times, calling Patel’s complaint “meritless.”

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Their decision to order girls to shelter in place on July 4 was “a death sentence,” the complaint states, when safety for Cile and others was just steps away.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

A bunch of dead busybodies who knew nothing about him and what he could handle, what he handled every day without complaint.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

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