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What is the difference between complaint and grievance?

complaint | grievance |

As nouns the difference between complaint and grievance

is that complaint is a grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern; the act of complaining while grievance is something which causes grief.

complaint

Noun

(en noun)
  • A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern; the act of complaining.
  • I have no complaints about the quality of his work, but I don't enjoy his company.
  • (legal) In a civil action, the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim is based;
    The purpose is to give notice to the adversary of the nature and basis of the claim asserted.
  • (legal) In criminal law, the preliminary charge or accusation made by one person against another to the appropriate court or officer, usually a magistrate.
    However, court proceedings, such as a trial, cannot be instituted until an indictment or information has been handed down against the defendant.
  • A consumer complaint.
  • A bodily disorder or disease; the symptom of such a disorder.
  • Don't come too close, I've got this nasty complaint .

    Anagrams

    *

    grievance

    Alternative forms

    * grievaunce (archaic)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (countable) Something which causes grief.
  • A wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.
  • * November 2 2014 , Daniel Taylor, " Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk
  • Wayne Rooney spent much of the game remonstrating with Oliver about his own grievances and, in the interest of balance, there were certainly occasions when United had legitimate complaints.
  • *{{quote-book, year=2006, author=
  • , title=Internal Combustion , chapter=2 citation , passage=Throughout the 1500s, the populace roiled over a constellation of grievances of which the forest emerged as a key focal point. The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.}}
  • A complaint or annoyance.
  • A formal complaint, especially in the context of a unionized workplace.
  • * If you want the problem fixed, you'll have to file a grievance with the city.