litigate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make the subject of a lawsuit; contest at law.
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Archaic. to dispute (a point, assertion, etc.).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to bring or contest (a claim, action, etc) in a lawsuit
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(intr) to engage in legal proceedings
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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litigatornoun
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relitigateverb (used with object)
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litigativeadjective
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unlitigatedadjective
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unlitigatingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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litigatesimple
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litigatessimple
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have litigatedperfect
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has litigatedperfect
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am litigatingprogressive
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are litigatingprogressive
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is litigatingprogressive
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have been litigatingperfect progressive
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has been litigatingperfect progressive
Past
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litigatedsimple
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had litigatedperfect
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was litigatingprogressive
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were litigatingprogressive
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had been litigatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of litigate
First recorded in 1605–15, litigate is from the Latin word lītigātus (past participle of lītigāre to go to law). See litigant, -ate 1
Explanation
To litigate is to engage in some sort of legal proceedings. Litigating mostly takes place in court. If you're litigating, you'd better have a lawyer: you're involved in some sort of legal situation. When you sue someone, that's litigating. The person sued is also forced to litigate. People accused of a crime have to litigate when they're on trial. There are many types of litigation. Lawyers usually specialize in one type of litigating, such as criminal law or corporate law. If you're ever on a jury, you'll get a closer look at how litigating works.
Vocabulary lists containing litigate
Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 3
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Unequal: A Story of America
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Black Bird, Blue Road
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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.
See Examples For:
However, Paramount suspended such ambitions on Friday, agreeing to delay the merger until after a trial to litigate the merits of the antitrust case brought by Bonta and the other Democrats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
“She claims she had it in her milk with her child, and that’s what the insurance company took to settle, and we weren’t going to litigate it.”
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Defendants can choose to litigate in federal court, which can cost a significant amount of time and accumulate a mountain of legal fees.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
Yet O’Connor condemned RIH’s move as an underhanded gambit to “circumvent” his authority, as though he alone had a claim to litigate this dispute and McElroy was an impudent interloper.
From Slate ● May 19, 2026
Joshua Carter and Robert Caston were the first two cases we decided to litigate.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
The Law Department has previously told ProPublica it takes its ethical responsibilities seriously and litigates each case with an open mind.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2023
From 2014 to 2019, Kacsmaryk served as deputy general counsel for First Liberty Institute, a Christian conservative nonprofit group that litigates on cases involving religious freedom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
Verheyden-Hilliard’s group often litigates on behalf of those seeking access to public spaces, pressing the government to properly allow free-speech activities and protests along Pennsylvania Avenue and elsewhere.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2022
And it is revealing a Husky team with a chance to forge something special in a season that by its very nature litigates against sustained success.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2020
Ms. Lang, 31, is a senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, where she litigates voting rights and redistricting cases.
From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2017
That feud is now being litigated in two separate lawsuits.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
On a recent day outside of the Apple Pan burger joint — a Krug favorite — Michel, Greenberg and Sugerman, all nearly halfway into their 70s, litigated Feeney history:
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
But feminists should not be cowed — and not just because this case, a version of which was already litigated in Carroll’s favor, is likely to crumble in court.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
Kelly’s pension case is being litigated, and a panel from the same D.C.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
We were still very actively litigating on behalf of condemned children in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana—Southern states where we had litigated previously.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
"After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
“There are some backdoor paths to closing the deal while still litigating with the states over their concerns. But there is no way to move forward without the sign-off from regulators in Europe.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
The end of a marriage isn’t always an outright war or something people spend years litigating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Another has been litigating for 11 weeks with no end in sight.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026
We were still very actively litigating on behalf of condemned children in Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana—Southern states where we had litigated previously.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
