Complaint
Pronunciation
- IPA: /kʌmˈpleɪnt/
- Rhymes: -eɪnt
Origin
From Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from compleindre.
Full definition of complaint
Noun
complaint
(plural complaints)- A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern; the act of complaining.I have no complaints about the quality of his work, but I don't enjoy his company.
- (legal) In a civil action, the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim is based;
The purpose is to give notice to the adversary of the nature and basis of the claim asserted. - (legal) In criminal law, the preliminary charge or accusation made by one person against another to the appropriate court or officer, usually a magistrate.
However, court proceedings, such as a trial, cannot be instituted until an indictment or information has been handed down against the defendant. - A consumer complaint.
- A bodily disorder or disease; the symptom of such a disorder.Don't come too close, I've got this nasty complaint.