Learn English – ‘Lodge a complaint’ vs ‘file a complaint’

word-choice

Is there any difference between lodge a complaint and file a complaint?

I found two relevant senses for these words in the Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary:

lodge: to make formal statement about something to a public organisation or authority

and

file: to present something so that it can be officially recorded and dealt with

So, when can I used lodge, and when can I use file? Are they really interchangeable?

Best Answer

In reference to "complaint", they are virtually identical in meaning. Usage preference is a matter of chronology and which-side-of-the-pond:

  • "File a complaint" is more common in American English since about 1950; before that, "lodge a complaint was more common.

Google NGram American English corpus enter image description here

  • "Lodge a complaint" has been more common in British English, but "file" has been gaining usage rapidly (in written works) since about the 1970s, and overtook "lodge" in about 2000, but lately they seem to be running neck-and-neck.

Google Ngram British English corpus
enter image description here

I can't speak for Canadians, Australians, etc.

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