litigator

American  

[lit-i-gay-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. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

litigator

“I’m just trying to get Justice Alito’s vote,” veteran litigator Lisa Blatt said as she was being peppered with technical questions about plea bargains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

Despite his lack of experience as a civil litigator, McKinney also said he could bring down the city’s litigation costs, which exploded under Feldstein Soto.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

Despite having no experience as a civil litigator, the deputy L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

And Supreme Court litigator Neal Katyal dishes about how he mentally prepped for the case that struck down Trump’s tariffs.

From Slate ● May 8, 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

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