Meaning
criminal complaint, lawsuit
- criminal complaint, formal legal complaint
In a sentence
Ha presentato una querela dopo la lite al bar.
He filed a complaint after the argument at the bar.
Hai davvero fatto querela contro il vicino?
Did you really file a complaint against the neighbor?
Non voglio una querela per questa storia.
I don't want a complaint over this matter.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| querela | feminine · singular |
| querele | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- In modern Italian, querela is mainly legal: a formal complaint by the injured party. Don't use it for everyday complaining; use lamentela or reclamo.
- Common with sporgere or presentare: sporgere querela, presentare querela. Avoid literal English-style calques like fare una querela in legal contexts.
- Often appears in the fixed phrase querela di falso, a technical legal term. Register is formal and bureaucratic, not conversational.