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

This reshuffle doesn't answer the most frequent complaint made about Sir Keir by his own party, often publicly, that it's just not that clear exactly what he stands for.

From BBC

Some officials rejected complaints, with one Krasnoyarsk bureaucrat suggesting remote workers who lost income should "go and work for the special military operation", as the war in Ukraine is known in Russia.

From BBC

The Commission on Judicial Performance, the state agency responsible for probing complaints of judicial misconduct and incapacity as well as disciplining judges, issued its findings in August.

From Los Angeles Times

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: "A formal complaint has been received by the council in relation to this and we are now considering its contents."

From BBC

In a civil complaint, prosecutors allege that the Eaton fire ignited “from faulty power infrastructure or by sparks from faulty power infrastructure owned, maintained, and operated” by Edison.

From Los Angeles Times

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.