Complaint
//kəmˈpleɪnt// noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of complaining. countable, uncountable
"customer complaints"
- 2 (criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense wordnet
- 3 A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern. countable, uncountable
"I have no complaints about the quality of his work, but I don't enjoy his company."
- 4 (civil law) the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim for relief is based wordnet
- 5 In a civil action, the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim is based. countable, uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 an expression of grievance or resentment wordnet
- 7 In criminal law, the preliminary charge or accusation made by one person against another to the appropriate court or officer, usually a magistrate. countable, uncountable
- 8 (formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow wordnet
- 9 A bodily disorder or disease; the symptom of such a disorder. countable, uncountable
"Don't come too close; I've got this nasty complaint."
- 10 an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining wordnet
Example
More examples"The company went after its no. 1 customer complaint: power outages."
Etymology
From Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from Old French compleindre, eventually from Latin planctus (whence plaint).
Related phrases
More for "complaint"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.