complainant

noun

com·​plain·​ant kəm-ˈplā-nənt 

1

: the party who makes the complaint in a legal action or proceeding

2

: one who complains

Synonyms

• plaintiff
• suer

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

Settlements can include payments to complainants to cover lost wages or other harms and agreeing to temporary monitoring by state officials to ensure compliance with the law. —Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to the ethics law (SB 7014) requiring complainants to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. —Mike Gottlieb, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2024

United said they were provided with explanations for the materials posted online and were satisfied that Greenwood did not physically abuse the complainant, adding that these explanations were not contested by the complainant’s family. —Mark Critchley, The Athletic, 23 July 2024

Because the complaints are still under investigation, the names of complainants were redacted. —Alyssa N. Salcedo, Journal Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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