litigator

American  

[lit-i-gey-ter] / ˈlɪt ɪˌgeɪ tər /

noun

1. a courtroom lawyer.

2. a litigant.

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Usage

What does litigator mean? A litigator is a lawyer, especially one who specializes in civil cases. 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 litigators do in such a proceeding. Less commonly, litigator can refer to a person engaged in a lawsuit. However, a more common word for this is 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). Example: He was a prominent litigator in the ’80s before he became a prosecutor.

Etymology

Origin of litigator

First recorded in 1900–05; litigate ( def. ) + -or ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Rehnquist reinforced John’s preexisting philosophies,” said Paul Smith, now a prominent liberal Supreme Court litigator who clerked that same year for Justice Lewis Powell.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

Also, one prominent litigator, Antonia Apps, a trial lawyer and a former senior official at the Securities and Exchange Commission, joined the firm recently.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Patty Glaser, the high-powered entertainment litigator, convened a meeting between the two men.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Before becoming second lady, Usha Vance had a legal career, including a job as a corporate litigator at firm Munger, Tolles & Olson in San Francisco.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Or that Louis V. Gerstner, the former IBM chief executive, hired a Boston litigator to help him push through a plan for a large new house on his $11 million waterfront plot?

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times