Complainants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who bring forth grievances or dissatisfaction toward another entity
2. Parties that seek resolution or express issues related to perceived injustices
3. Persons who formally express dissatisfaction or grievances against another party

Etymology: "Complainants" is simply the plural of "complainant," the person who lodges a complaint, usually in a formal legal or official setting. The singular came into English from Old French "complaignant," the present participle of "complaindre," meaning "to lament" or "to complain." That verb traces back to Latin "plangere," "to beat the breast" or "to lament," so the earliest sense of the family is an outward display of grief rather than a formal objection. The plural form simply follows from the singular, so "complainants" carries the same meaning as a group of people bringing grievances together. Its modern legal sense, a party who files a charge or lawsuit, grew out of the older idea of voicing sorrow or distress aloud.

Synonyms: plaintiffs, claimants, litigants, accusers, petitioners

Antonyms: defendants, respondents, accused, protesters, deniers