ENGLISH
REFERENCE

complaint

n. countable
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //kəmˈpɫeɪnt// UK //kəmplˈeɪnt// com·plaint General-service

n. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something. You make one when a service is bad or a product is broken.

n. an expression of grievance or dissatisfaction regarding a product, service, or situation. In a legal context, it refers to the formal document that starts a civil lawsuit by stating the plaintiff's claims.


SIMPLE

The customer made a formal complaint about the cold food.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager promised to investigate the complaint and offer a full refund for the damaged goods.

COMPLEX

The legal team filed a formal complaint in the district court, alleging that the company had violated several safety regulations over the past decade.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English compleynte, from Anglo-Norman compleint, from Old French compleindre, eventually from Latin planctus (whence plaint).

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'make', 'file', or 'lodge'. Takes the prepositions 'about' for the subject and 'against' for the person or entity being blamed.

Pitfall

I want to make a complainI want to make a complaintLearners often confuse the verb 'complain' with the noun 'complaint'.

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