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complaint
[ kuhm-pleynt ]
noun
- an expression of discontent, regret, pain, censure, resentment, or grief; lament; faultfinding:
his complaint about poor schools.
- a cause of discontent, pain, grief, lamentation, etc.
- a cause of bodily pain or ailment; malady:
The doctor says I suffer from a rare complaint.
- Law. the first pleading of the plaintiff in a civil action, stating the cause of action.
complaint
/ kəmˈpleɪnt /
noun
- the act of complaining; an expression of grievance
- a cause for complaining; grievance
- a mild ailment
- English law a statement by which a civil proceeding in a magistrates' court is commenced
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Other Words From
- coun·ter·com·plaint noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of complaint1
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Example Sentences
The House Committee on Homeland Security is investigating the allegations in the complaint, and more than 170 members of Congress have called for a separate investigation from the Homeland Security inspector general’s office.
While the system will formally track such complaints, the allegations against Hankison were already known — and didn’t bar him from staying on the job.
The complaints came from a group of businesses in Western Pennsylvania, Republican state legislators and four counties.
Sharon Whitehurst-Payne, the school board member who represents the area, got involved in the issue when complaints bounced around public forums.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-LGBTQ legal group, filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights on their behalf.
Chan ordered the man to put it down and the ensuing criminal complaint would say that he complied.
“Defendant moved his hands in a manner so as to avoid the application of handcuffs to his wrists,” the complaint says.
The complaint continues, “During this period of time, defendant escaped police custody.”
The dress bizarrely burdened Hurley with a ready-made character to play up to, which she did without overt complaint.
In January 2013, the TRN group filed a second complaint in the Dial Global suit, demanding a jury trial.
It ended on a complaint that she was 'tired rather and spending my time at full length on a deck-chair in the garden.'
I have erected above 100 steam-engines on this principle, but never met with one accident or complaint against them.
A noted miser boasted that he had lost five shillings without uttering a single complaint.
Ive heerd that complaint of it once or twice before, replied the trader; but it soon cools down again; dont you find it so?
Other writers suffered from that complaint known as "swelled head," but Walter Fetherston never.
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More About Complaint
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.
Where does complaint come from?
The first records of complaint come from the 1300s. It ultimately derives from the Latin planctus, meaning “the striking or beating of one’s breast in grief.” Planctus is equivalent to the Latin verb plang(ere), meaning “to strike” or “to mourn for.” (This sense of mourning is seen in the related word plaintive, which means “mournful” or “expressing sorrow.”)
When people complain, they are stating complaints. But complaints can be more serious than saying that you wish it weren’t raining. Sometimes, complaints are made (especially lodged or filed) in an official way, such as a complaint against a fellow employee, or a government whistle-blower complaint. In a legal context, complaints can be filed in both criminal and civil cases. In a criminal case, the complaint makes the charges official. In a civil case, the complaint is filed by the plaintiff (sometimes called the complainant). It initiates a lawsuit by providing general information about the nature of the claim and giving notice to the person or party that the lawsuit is being brought against. In medicine, complaint typically refers to the symptom that someone is seeking medical assistance for, as in The patient presented with a complaint of numbness in his left knee.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to complaint?
- complain (verb)
- countercomplaint (noun)
What are some synonyms for complaint?
What are some words that share a root or word element with complaint?
What are some words that often get used in discussing complaint?
How is complaint used in real life?
Complaint is very commonly used in a general way to refer to any expression of dissatisfaction. But it often indicates some degree of official status. In legal and medical contexts, it has a more specific meaning and is used in a more serious tone.
If your biggest complaint right now is that you are bored, that means you are doing pretty great.
— Halli (@iamharaldur) March 19, 2020
It’s not often that I find ischemic strokes presenting with a headache as the chief complaint. Last night a 84 yo had 2 days of a right sided HA. Her daughter noted some slight confusion but not currently. Normal exam. 2 day old Right sided temporal lobe infarct on CT.
— Travis Smith, D.O. (@RosenelliEM) June 24, 2019
Apsey confirms that conversations between Boise State and the Mountain West continue after the school filed a complaint against the conference pertaining to its latest TV deal.
— Ron Counts (@Ron_BroncoBeat) March 19, 2020
Try using complaint!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of complaint?
- grievance
- accusation
- statement
- gripe
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