litigant

noun

lit·​i·​gant ˈli-ti-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
: one engaged in a lawsuit
litigant adjective

Examples of litigant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Trial Judges by constitutional design are present in the courtroom to maintain order over the litigants and attorneys for the jury to reach a verdict. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024 The judiciary’s job is to reach a correct result, not help a litigant delay a correct result. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024 The case is one of a growing number of lawsuits by conservative litigants challenging school policies aimed at protecting LGBTQ students from harassment and respecting their pronouns and gender identities. Reuters, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 These briefs can give judges different perspectives on a case than the litigants’ briefs do. Derek H. Kiernan-Johnson, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024 Overturning the doctrine, as industry litigants urged the court to do during oral arguments Jan. 17, could sap regulatory agencies’ ability to base their rule-making on expert advice. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 All the litigants are running in March for seats on the Marin County Republican Central Committee. Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2024 Most other accounts of the Court’s history are written by lawyers, a litany of cases with the occasional vivid portrait of a Justice or, less often, a litigant. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 Until 2021, when we were removed as a defendant on constitutional actual-malice grounds, National Review was a litigant. The Editors, National Review, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'litigant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigant was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near litigant

Cite this Entry

“Litigant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

litigant

noun
lit·​i·​gant ˈlit-i-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
: a person taking part in a lawsuit

Legal Definition

litigant

noun
lit·​i·​gant ˈli-ti-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
: an active party to litigation
litigant adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!