litigation
Americannoun
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the act or process of bringing or contesting a legal action in court
-
a judicial proceeding or contest
Usage
What does litigation mean? Litigation is the process of engaging in a legal proceeding, such as a lawsuit.The word litigation can also mean a lawsuit.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). The verb litigate means engage in a legal proceeding. It can mean to bring a lawsuit or to contest one. A litigator is a lawyer, especially one who specializes in civil cases. A litigant is a person engaged in a lawsuit.Example: Their goal is to avoid litigation, so they’re going to try to get you to settle out of court.
Other Word Forms
- nonlitigation noun
- prelitigation noun
- relitigation noun
Etymology
Origin of litigation
First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin lītigātiōn-, stem of lītigātiō “a dispute”; equivalent to litigate + -ion
Compare meaning
How does litigation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
The accident, which spawned congressional hearings, litigation and a criminal probe, galvanized opponents of nuclear power.
People really like the Buddy Holly glasses in those crosswalks, but litigation is expensive, and Mayor Mark McBrayer has said that the glasses will be painted or paved over.
Companies across multiple industries are using patent litigation to impose heavy legal expenses on competitors.
Mark Rosenbaum, senior special counsel for strategic litigation for the public interest law firm Public Counsel, agreed that enforcement will be the key to whether the new office is effective.
From Los Angeles Times
Sable quickly got to work but soon ran into a thicket of litigation.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
