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

These are some of the wild allegations filed in two criminal complaints this week by federal prosecutors in one of the most sweeping and sensational betting scandals in recent professional sports history.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It said the company itself was not being investigated because of whistleblower employees who contributed to the complaint and helped "prevent the continuation of the allegedly criminal activity".

Read more on Barron's

Plus, filing complaints with the Department of Homeland Security was likely to go nowhere because the office that once handled them had been dismantled.

Read more on Salon

Between January and September, the police recorded 20,705 complaints of extortion in Peru, an increase of nearly 29 percent from a year earlier.

Read more on Barron's

Commissioner Suarez said he has received numerous complaints about car thefts on the strip and said he was even at an event on North Bay when a car was stolen.

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.