A grievance is a formal statement of complaint, generally against an authority figure.

A substantial section of the Declaration of Independence consists of an enumeration of the colonists' grievances against "the present king of England."

An important part of the American political tradition is the right of the people to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Labor unions typically include a committee known as the Grievance Committee or Griefcom which deals with complaints of members against management.