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
- countercomplaint noun
Etymology
Origin of complaint
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English compleynte, from Middle French complainte, from Latin com- com- + plancta 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.
Carragher is also facing a council motion in which she is accused of having ignored or downplayed complaints about Linden.
From BBC
One of the biggest complaints about the original movie from fans was the inclusion of various pop and rock songs on the game's soundtrack.
From BBC
The Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach sued the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office in 2024 over refusals to comply with a whistleblower complaint subpoena.
From Los Angeles Times
The state investigator also requested the X-ray tests that deputies had used to wrongly determine that the two grenades were inert, according to the complaint.
From Los Angeles Times
But he was dropped on Monday due to an unresolved complaint against him.
From BBC
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.
