Meaning & use

complainant

noun·Advanced

A person who makes a formal complaint, especially one who brings a legal case against another party.

See it in a sentence

The complainant testified that the contract had been broken repeatedly.

The court dismissed the case after the complainant failed to appear.

A note on using this word

Complainant is mostly used in legal contexts, similar to plaintiff, though plaintiff specifically applies to civil lawsuits.

Words with a similar meaning

plaintiffclaimant

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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