Definition of complainantnext
as in plaintiff
the person in a legal proceeding who makes a charge of wrongdoing against another the complainant charged that the defendant had broken the ironclad contract that both had signed

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of complainant The complainant was able to provide police with screenshots of the text message conversation between Moore and his sister, the affidavit says. Steven Mross, Arkansas Online, 4 Jan. 2026 The Door County Sheriff's Office said there is no active investigation because the office is waiting for the complainant to provide more information about what happened. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025 The new charges bring the total number of complainants to six. Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 Though the name of the complainant is redacted in the document, Farmer’s lawyer has confirmed it was made by her. Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 21 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for complainant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for complainant
plaintiff
Noun
  • The trial will also serve as a test case to see what damages, if any, may be awarded to plaintiffs, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.
    CBS News, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages as well as changes to the way social media apps are designed.
    Shannon Bond, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Complainant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/complainant. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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