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Synonyms

plaintiff

American  
[pleyn-tif] / ˈpleɪn tɪf /

noun

Law.

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

plaintiff British  
/ ˈpleɪntɪf /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
plaintiff Cultural  

  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

Etymology

Origin of plaintiff

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

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.

One plaintiff who sued, according to a court filing last year, is a Taiwanese woman with a student visa who had lived in the U.S. for 12 years and was applying for a green card.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Many have sued AI firms, alleging copyright infringement; in fact, Disney is a plaintiff in some of that litigation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The plaintiff at the heart of the case was only known by her first name Kaley, and after nine days of deliberation, the jurors agreed with her on all counts.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Shareholders have 60 days to file a motion to be considered as a lead plaintiff.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“The plaintiff, meaning Mr. Hobert?” says Principal Jenkins.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

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.