complainant:
(also ‘complainer‘; pronunciation: the letter ‘c’ is said with a ‘k’ sound as in “king”)
‘to complain’ (verb) = to express/say that someone has some pain, problem, inconvenience; and to say that somebody or something has done some harm, or has caused some loss, harm, etc.; and “compliant” (noun) = the expression of pain, harm, loss, etc.
a complainant showing his damaged car
a person (a group of people, a company, etc.) that says (complains) in a court of law that somebody or something is causing some harm or is cheating or is stealing something or somebody from him/her in a court of law;
a person or organisation that complains or files a charge on somebody or something ;
a plaintiff,
a complainant (L) accusing the man
e.g.
A complainant who files a case or who brings an action against someone in a court of law is usually informed of the progress of the case, and may be asked to give more information from time to time.
Every complainant must make his/her compliant formally filling up an official form, and in case the complainant needs some help in filling the complaint form, he/she can take the help of a complaints officer.
When there are several complaints from many complainants, the public service office has immediately assigned a special officer to deal with the situation.
For the pronunciation of this word, please
click here. For an interesting news item in which a complainant withdrew his complaint, please
click here, and for another news item in which a complainant was harassed for making a complaint, please
click here. For another item of news about a complainant, please
click here.
a complainer (R) camplaining about food
Note: Though the words ‘complainant’ and ‘complainer’ are used interchangeably, there is some subtle difference between them. ‘Complainant’ is a formal word used to refer to a person who makes a formal or official complaint about a serious fraud or crime, and ‘complainer’ is mostly used as an informal word to refer to a person who always grumbles or makes verbal complaints about simple or silly inconveniences which may be dealt with easily. Most of the time a complainer is more concern about his/her personal loss or inconvenience and may not be bothered about giving any suggestions or solutions to set things right.
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About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language.
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