/ kəmˈpleɪnt; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] complaint (about / against sb/sth) | complaint (that ... ) a reason for not being satisfied; a statement that sb makes saying that they are not satisfied :
The most common complaint is about poor service.
We received a number of complaints from customers about the lack of parking facilities.
I believe you have a complaint against one of our nurses.
I'd like to make a complaint about the noise.
a formal complaint
a complaint that he had been unfairly treated
( formal )
to file / lodge (= make) a complaint
2.
[ U ] the act of complaining :
I can see no grounds for complaint .
a letter of complaint
3.
[ C ] an illness, especially one that is not serious, and often one that affects a particular part of the body :
a skin complaint
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French complainte , feminine past participle of complaindre to lament, from medieval Latin complangere bewail, from Latin com- (expressing intensive force) + plangere to lament.