complaint vs grievance

complaint

noun
  • The act of complaining. 

  • However, court proceedings, such as a trial, cannot be instituted until an indictment or information has been handed down against the defendant. 

  • 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. 

  • A grievance, problem, difficulty, or concern. 

  • In criminal law, the preliminary charge or accusation made by one person against another to the appropriate court or officer, usually a magistrate. 

  • A bodily disorder or disease; the symptom of such a disorder. 

grievance

noun
  • A complaint or annoyance. 

  • A formal complaint, especially in the context of a unionized workplace. 

  • Feelings of being wronged; outrage. 

  • A wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint. 

  • Violation of regulations or objectionable behavior. 

  • Something which causes grief. 

How often have the words complaint and grievance occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )