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Synonyms

claimant

American  
[kley-muhnt] / ˈkleɪ mənt /

noun

  • claimants
    plural
  1. a person who makes a claim.


claimant British  
/ ˈkleɪmənt /

noun

  1. a person who makes a claim

  2. Formerly called: plaintiff.  a person who brings a civil action in a court of law Compare defendant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of claimant

First recorded in 1740–50; claim + -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“We usually think of retail investors as the residual claimant of whatever shares are left,” said Jeremy Michels, associate professor at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 7, 2026

Russell said her father had never had a claimant before and thought the find was "absolutely brilliant".

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

If the agency doesn’t respond or denies a claim, the claimant can then file suit.

From Los Angeles Times May 26, 2026

Another claimant said she had experienced pain in her hands and feet.

From BBC May 18, 2026

If a marriageable son belonged to the family where she boarded a proposal was automatic; if there was more than one claimant, vicious fights occurred over her hand.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

The federal program has paid out twice as many claimants as the city’s 2001 estimate.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 9, 2026

The BBC has seen messages from the claimants where they demand money or threaten future copyright strikes.

From BBC Sep. 8, 2026

On Friday, a judge ruled that Harry and six other claimants, including singer Sir Elton John, had a week to pay a total of 9.5 million pounds, or nearly $13 million, in legal fees.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

After an emotional 11-week trial -- during which Harry gave in-person evidence -- judge Matthew Nicklin sided with the publisher in a July 7 ruling, concluding the "claimants failed to prove their pleaded allegations".

From Barron's Aug. 21, 2026

The lot where Fischer was buried belongs to the family of Gardar Sverisson, a close friend of Miyoko Watai, one of the claimants to the estate of Bobby.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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