litigate

[lit-i-geyt]

verb (used with object)

litigated, litigating 

1. to make the subject of a lawsuit; contest at law.

2. Archaic.,  to dispute (a point, assertion, etc.).

verb (used without object)

litigated, litigating 

1. to carry on a lawsuit.

litigate

/ ˈlɪtɪˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. to bring or contest (a claim, action, etc) in a lawsuit

2. (intr) to engage in legal proceedings

Other Word Forms

• litigative adjective
• relitigate verb (used with object)
• unlitigated adjective
• unlitigating adjective
• litigator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of litigate¹

First recorded in 1605–15, litigate is from the Latin word lītigātus (past participle of lītigāre to go to law). See litigant, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of litigate¹

C17: from Latin lītigāre, from līt-, stem of līs lawsuit + agere to carry on

Example Sentences

By the time it’s litigated, the money will already be in circulation — and that will be that.

Read more on Salon

“The administration might say, ‘While we are litigating this case, having this injunction in place is irreparably harming us in a way we can’t recover from, so in the interim, please stay this injunction.’”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“And the cases that people litigate . . . they only bother to litigate the things that they’re really, truly disagreeing about that they feel passionately about. And then those are the cases that we see.”

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The ruling Monday gave authorities the go-ahead to continue operating with those tactics, while the issues are litigated in the lower courts.

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These matters are being addressed through the appropriate channels, and it would be inappropriate to litigate them in the press.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• prosecute 

When To Use

What does litigate mean?

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. The related word litigant refers to a person engaged in a lawsuit.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).Litigate can also be used in a somewhat figurative or general way meaning to intensely dispute or argue something, as if one were a lawyer in a courtroom setting, as in It’s just a minor issue—we don’t have to litigate it over and over again.  Example: They want to avoid having to litigate, so they’re going to try to get you to settle out of court.