plaint

[ pleynt ]

noun

1. a complaint.
2. Law. a statement of grievance made to a court for the purpose of asking redress.
3. a lament; lamentation.

plaint

/ pleɪnt /

noun

1. archaic.
   a complaint or lamentation
2. law a statement in writing of grounds of complaint made to a court of law and asking for redress of the grievance

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaint¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaint¹

C13: from Old French plainte, from Latin planctus lamentation, from plangere to beat

Example Sentences

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

O’Connor’s, with its silence, turns the original plaint into a jolt.

From New York Times

“What seemed to be political fanaticism,” he writes there, “was only an excuse, a parable, a manifesto of fidelity, a coded plaint of love.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

Labrinth intones the title as a falsetto plaint above hollow, puffing organ chords that hark back to Brian Wilson; the beat is slow, sporadic, almost stumbling.

From New York Times

Related Words

• accusation
• charge
• criticism
• grievance
• gripe
• objection
• protest
• trouble