com·plaint n
1: the initial pleading that starts a lawsuit and that sets forth the allegations made by the plaintiff against the defendant and the plaintiff's demand for relief see also prayer, process, well-pleaded complaint rule compare answer
2: a document sworn to by a victim or police officer that sets forth a criminal violation and that serves as the charging instrument by which charges are filed and judicial proceedings commenced against a defendant in a magistrate's court compare declaration, indictment, information
3: petition
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.