DictionaryRoot: com-
Latin

com-

with, together; sometimes thoroughly

Forms

  • com-
  • con- — Used before many consonants in Latin.
  • col- — Used before l in Latin.
  • cor- — Used before r in Latin.
  • co- — Shortened especially before vowels.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *kom, ‘with; beside.’

Note

In some formations, togetherness shades into completeness; the prefix’s exact contribution can be uncertain.

88 / 265
noun

complaint

kuhm-PLAYNT/kəmˈpleɪnt/

A statement alleging a problem or wrongdoing.

The tenant makes a complaint to the landlord about the leaking pipe.

A South Asian tenant shows a landlord a leaking pipe with a dissatisfied expression.
Etymology

With com- perhaps adding emphasis, the root evokes beating the breast in grief. An expression of suffering developed into an expression of grievance: a statement that something is wrong.

In context

MooLer139:11
this was my complaint when we watched it was it it's that that lack of a leadership element
EFAP #207 - Breaking down Rings of Power's awful fifth episode w/Disparu, The Little Platoon & Shad

More examples

  • The manager listens to my complaint about the slow service.
  • Neighbors file complaints about noise from the construction site.
  • The lawsuit begins with a complaint alleging that the company committed fraud.

Forms

complaint · complaints

complain verb — To say something is wrong or unsatisfactory.

complainant noun — A person who makes a formal complaint.

Similar words

grievance
A grievance emphasizes unfair treatment rather than general dissatisfaction.
allegation
An allegation asserts wrongdoing but does not establish its truth.
protest
A protest expresses strong objection, often openly or publicly.