litigant

[ lit-i-guhnt ]

noun

1. a person engaged in a lawsuit.

adjective

1. litigating; engaged in a lawsuit.

litigant

/ ˈlɪtɪɡənt /

noun

1. a party to a lawsuit

adjective

1. engaged in litigation

Word History and Origins

Origin of litigant¹

1630–40; < Latin lītigant- (stem of lītigāns, present participle of lītigāre to go to law), equivalent to līt- (stem of līs ) a lawsuit + -ig- (combining form of agere to carry on) + -ant- -ant

Example Sentences

The provision concerns so-called qui tam actions, in which private litigants bring lawsuits on behalf of the government as well as themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

“They’re a more effective way for litigants and the public to get a sense of what types of individuals and groups a judge might be hanging out with and learning from,” he said.

From Salon

In fact, she wrote, “the Court seriously doubts that there is any valid justification for depriving litigants of a verbatim transcript when a ready technological means for providing one is available.”

From Los Angeles Times

In other cases, courts are asking litigants to explain how recent Supreme Court decisions could impact their claims.

From Salon

They fund the astroturfed nonprofits that go out and find the litigants that bring these cases.

From Salon

Related Words

• adversary
• aspirant
• candidate
• challenger
• competitor
• enemy
• foe
• opposition
• player
• rival

More About Litigant

What does litigant mean?

A litigant is a person engaged in a lawsuit.

To litigate is to engage in a legal proceeding, such as a lawsuit. It can mean to bring a lawsuit or to contest one.

The word especially refers to what lawyers do in such a proceeding. In fact, another name for a lawyer is litigator, especially a lawyer who specializes in civil cases. Less commonly, litigator can also be used as a synonym for litigant.

The process of engaging in a legal proceeding is called litigation. To be in litigation typically means to be engaged in a civil legal proceeding (as opposed to a criminal one, in which one is said to be on trial).

Litigant can also be used as an adjective to describe someone engaged in litigation, but this is much less common than its use as a noun.

Example: The litigants have agreed to avoid further litigation and settle out of court.

Where does litigant come from?

The first records of the word litigant come from the 1630s. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb lītigāre, meaning “to go to law,” from līt- (a stem of līs, meaning “lawsuit”) and agere, “to carry on.”

Litigators litigate, and litigating often takes the form of carrying on a lawsuit. The parties to such lawsuits are the litigants. Litigation is often expensive and time-consuming (which might be good for the litigators but not so much for their clients, the litigants). For this reason, people often try to avoid litigation when they’re on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Some choose to go through arbitration, which is a process in which a third party helps to settle the dispute.

Litigants who do engage in litigation and present their cases in court can still agree to settle before a decision is reached by the court—meaning they agree to stop litigating and come to a deal on their own (though often still with the help of the litigators).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to litigant?

• litigate (verb)
• litigation (noun)
• litigator (noun)
• litigable (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with litigant? 

• litigious

What are some words that often get used in discussing litigant?

• lawsuit
• legal
• proceeding
• lawyer
• attorney
• client
• case
• dispute
• process
• arbitration
• mediation

How is litigant used in real life?

The word litigant is typically used in the context of lawsuits.

As more and more litigants turn to alternative dispute resolution, experts expect the trend to continue even after the current health crisis is over.https://t.co/ASo4PVwLfr

— Law.com (@lawdotcom) June 23, 2020

If America’s civil courts implemented online dispute resolution, both litigants and the court system could benefit, seeing improvements in customer service, increased efficiency, and reduced costs. https://t.co/5SYYYxkEaf

— Pew States (@PewStates) March 5, 2019

The Herald reports a trend by some lawyers and litigants going “Forum Shopping” for perceived favourable courts or judicial officers who are likely to give them convenient judgements. And we are not supposed to comment about that? Naa, ain’t gonna happen.https://t.co/C4AHgszmk7

— Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) June 22, 2020

 

 

Try using litigant!

True or False? 

Litigant can be used as an adjective.