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

Justice Department attorneys wrote that they “greatly regret any disruption caused to the Court and the other litigants,” but needed to pause the proceedings until they were “permitted to resume their usual civil litigation functions.”

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Then he helpfully explained what it would be for future litigants.

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In the coming months, as litigants seek to capitalize on early legal wins without the benefit of a broad preliminary injunction, this doctrine could become the legal left’s most potent tool.

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In nearly half the cases, the guilty parties are pro-se litigants — that is, people pursuing a case without a lawyer.

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California has been joined by other states in all but one of those lawsuits, and has formally backed litigants against the administration in nearly 20 additional cases, too.

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Related Words

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

When To Use

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.