plaintiff

[pleyn-tif]

noun

Law.

1. a person who brings suit in a court (defendant ).

plaintiff

/ ˈpleɪntɪf /

noun

1. Now replaced by: claimant. (formerly) a person who brings a civil action in a court of law Compare defendant

plaintiff

1. The party that institutes a suit in a court. The person or entity the plaintiff sues is the defendant.

Other Word Forms

• plaintiffship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaintiff¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plaintif “complaining person,” noun use of the adjective; plaintive

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaintiff¹

C14: from legal French plaintif, from Old French plaintif (adj) complaining, from plainte _plaint

Example Sentences

"The parties have reached a settlement and the settlement requires certain conditions to be met in the near term," attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in a court filing last week.

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Court records show Rinderknecht was involved in a lawsuit after a car crash that occurred while he drove for DoorDash, the plaintiff confirmed to The Times.

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Historically, Section 2 has served as the enforcement mechanism that allows plaintiffs to challenge voting maps that dilute minority vote strength through racial gerrymandering..

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“Those aren’t mistakes; those are deliberate,” said Carol Sobel, a longtime civil rights attorney who is part of the plaintiffs’ legal team.

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The plaintiffs who spoke with The Times said the recruiters paid them outside a social services office in South Los Angeles.

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Related Words

• complainant 
• litigant 
• prosecutor