-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
complainant
noun
com·plain·ant
kəm-ˈplā-nənt
Examples of complainant in a Sentence
the complainant charged that the defendant had broken the ironclad contract that both had signed
Recent Examples on the Web
The complainants reported that, during their time as students, they had been subjected to racist and homophobic slurs and comments.
—Stephanie Drenka, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2024
One of those four complainants separately sued Spacey in a civil lawsuit at London's High Court in 2022.
—Sam Tobin, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
Instead, complainants are consistently ignored or met with indifference.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 5 May 2024
Another complainant, from Austin, Texas, called on NHTSA to force Hyundai to fix the fluid leaks.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
That could soon change, however, as state lawmakers consider an amendment to the ethics code that would require a complainant to have first-hand knowledge of an ethics violation, similar to what is required by Miami-Dade County code.
—Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2024
The company said the complainant, who was not identified, could appeal the decision.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024
Milam has in turn used music to respond to his complainants.
—Ezra Marcus, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
The complainant, whose name was redacted and only identified in records as a 66-year-old male, led authorities to where Irsay was.
—Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'complainant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of complainant was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near complainant
Cite this Entry
“Complainant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/complainant. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
complainant
noun
com·plain·ant
kəm-ˈplā-nənt
1
: one who makes a legal complaint
2
: one who complains
Legal Definition
complainant
noun
com·plain·ant
kəm-ˈplā-nənt
: the party (as a plaintiff or petitioner) who makes the complaint in a legal action or proceeding
More from Merriam-Webster on complainant
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share