plaint
Americannoun
-
a complaint.
-
Law. a statement of grievance made to a court for the purpose of asking redress.
-
a lament; lamentation.
noun
-
archaic a complaint or lamentation
-
law a statement in writing of grounds of complaint made to a court of law and asking for redress of the grievance
Etymology
Origin of plaint
1175–1225; Middle English < Middle French < Latin planctus a striking or beating (the breast) in grief, equivalent to plang ( ere ) to beat, strike, mourn for + -tus, suffix of v. action
Vocabulary lists containing plaint
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.
Mr. Cole, who seems proud that his Banana Ball has a family tree, echoes a common plaint among non-baseball fans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Produced by Pheelz, a Nigerian songwriter who adds a rap verse, “Ruin” deploys the shakers, deep log drums, soothing keyboard chords and open spaces of amapiano as Usher mixes accusation, plaint and humblebrag.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
Instead of breaking something open, and for all its self-conscious daring, “Beau Is Afraid” stays in a relatively safe lane as one more Portnoy-esque plaint about Mom’s inhumanity to man.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2023
After all Demi Lovato’s travails, the singer wails a 21st-century plaint about superficiality and loneliness: “Am I the only one looking for substance?”
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2022
‘Will the sun forget to streak?’ is no hysterical outburst of operatic tragedy, nor is it a plaint of sentimental, self-indulgent misery.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
