Complainant
/kəmˈpleɪnənt/
Definitions
A person who lodges a formal complaint, especially in a legal context.
/kəmˈpleɪnənt/
A person who makes a formal complaint.
The complainant was very upset about the poor service.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone's upset and goes to tell someone in charge about a problem. That person is the complainant. Like, if you spill your juice at a restaurant and tell the manager, you're the complainant.
👶 For kids: Someone who tells a grown-up about a problem.
More Examples
The court heard from the complainant and the defendant.
How It's Used
"The complainant testified in court about the incident."
"The store manager apologized to the complainant for the inconvenience."
From Middle English *compleignant, from Anglo-French compleignant, present participle of compleindre "to complain," from Vulgar Latin *complangere, from Latin com- "together" + plangere "to strike, beat, lament."
The word has maintained its core meaning since its adoption into English, primarily used in legal and formal contexts.
Memory tip
Think of someone who is 'complaining' – they are the complainant.