complaint
Americannoun
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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
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.
You can also file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
Read the Civilian Complaint Review Board’s independent report on the 2020 George Floyd protests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
This story has been corrected to show the FBI’s center is the Internet Crime Complaint Center, not the Internet Crime Compliance Center.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center fielded 3.26 million consumer complaints in the five years ending in 2022 and reports that $10.3 billion was lost in that last year alone.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2024
“I could file a Written Complaint against you,” the Man said to Estha.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
