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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

The tribunal found that Morgan had been unable to give specific examples of why she felt this and had been "largely perceived by the claimant because of her own anxiety".

From BBC Aug. 26, 2026

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

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

Lawyers who are experts in tort claims said the bureaucratic process is lengthy and complex, and any damage award would likely be lower than what a claimant is seeking.

From Los Angeles Times May 26, 2026

Crispin, if it’s any comfort, you’re probably not the only possible claimant.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

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

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 9, 2026

Mr Justice Nicklin previously said the claimants would need to pay the interim payment on August 28.

From BBC Aug. 21, 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, judge Matthew Nicklin sided with the publisher in a ruling handed down on July 7, 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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