Definition of “complaint” - English Dictionary

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“complaint” in English

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complaintnoun

uk ​ /kəmˈpleɪnt/ us ​ /kəmˈpleɪnt/

complaint noun (REPORT OF A PROBLEM)

B1 [ C or U ] a statement that something is wrong or not satisfactory:

We've received a complaint from one of our listeners about offensive language.
I've made a complaint (= formally complained) to the police about the noise.
[ + that ] We've had complaints that you've been playing your radio too loud.
Do you have any grounds for complaint (= reason to formally complain)?

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Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

(Definition of “complaint” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“complaint” in American English

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complaintnoun [ C/U ]

us ​ /kəmˈpleɪnt/

› a statement that something is wrong or not good enough, the act of complaining, or the thing you are complaining about:

[ U ] a letter of complaint
[ C ] Her only complaint is that she sometimes didn’t get enough heat in her apartment.

› law A complaint is also a formal statement to a government authority that you have a legal cause to complain about the way you have been treated:

[ C ] He filed a complaint with the commission, charging discrimination based on his disability.

(Definition of “complaint” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“complaint” in Business English

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complaintnoun

uk ​ /kəmˈpleɪnt/ us ​

› [ C ] a written or spoken statement in which someone says that somebody has done something wrong or that something is not satisfactory:

lodge/make/receive a complaint The council has said that it received complaints but that it cannot disclose details.
deal with/handle complaints They have an efficient system in place for dealing with customer complaints.
complaint about sb/sth The gas company has promised to investigate the man's complaint about a quarterly bill for £1,500.
complaint against sb/sth Complaints against an employment agency should be made to the Employment Agencies Standards office.

› [ C or U ] the act of complaining, or a reason for someone to complain:

The biggest complaint about the new proposal is that it could increase costs.
cause/grounds for complaint On this occasion, shareholders have little cause for complaint.
We have received several letters of complaint.

› [ C ] LAW a formal statement that someone has harmed somebody else or done something illegal, which must be proved in a court of law:

file/lodge a complaint A complaint alleging financial wrongdoing was lodged with the district attorney's office.

(Definition of “complaint” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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