complainant

complainant — noun

1. In a court case, the person or group that claims to have been harmed and asks th

1.名詞C1
釋義

In a court case, the person or group that claims to have been harmed and asks the court to order the other side to make things right.

例句

The complainant told the judge that her neighbour had built a wall on her land.

complainant + that-clause for stating the claim

In this case, the complainant claims the company did not pay for the goods it received.

同義詞
  • plaintiff

    the standard term in civil court cases; more technical than complainant

  • claimant

    someone who makes a legal claim, often in insurance or compensation contexts

  • accuser

    less formal; focuses on the act of accusing rather than the legal process

  • petitioner

    someone who formally petitions a court, especially in family or probate cases

反義詞
  • defendant

    the person or group being sued or accused in court

  • accused

    the person charged with a crime; used mainly in criminal cases

文法句型

the complainant + verb

用法筆記

Frequently contrasted with the defendant or the accused in court contexts. This term appears mainly in written legal documents and news reports about court cases, not in everyday conversation.

常見錯誤

❌The complainant complained about the food at the restaurant.
✅The complainant filed a lawsuit against the restaurant for serving spoiled food.
💡In legal English, 'complainant' refers only to someone who starts a formal court case, not someone who makes an everyday complaint.