plaintiff
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of plaintiff
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plaintif “complaining person,” noun use of the adjective; see plaintive
Explanation
In a courtroom, the plaintiff is the person or group who is accusing another person or group of some wrongdoing. If you’re the plaintiff, you are claiming that a law was broken, and you’re in court to present your case. The plaintiff accuses, the defendant tries to prove that accusation wrong. You’ve seen this relationship on television shows about lawyers, or maybe you’ve been to court yourself. The Old French root word translates as “complain” and the Latin root is literally “beating of the breast,” or explaining your grief in a dramatic way. Plaintiff shares roots with the adjective plaintive, which describes a sorrowful sound. The plaintiff made a plaintive cry when the defendant was declared not guilty.
Vocabulary lists containing plaintiff
Twelve Days in May
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A Tale of Two Cities
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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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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.
In March, Meta and Google were found liable for harms caused by a 20-year old plaintiff who said they intentionally built their platforms to be addictive.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Large asset managers effectively sue themselves—they are both class plaintiffs and shareholders—and plaintiff lawyers typically take 25% on the turn.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
The retailer won another lawsuit in Indiana in March, where the plaintiff claimed he was sent promotional messaging, despite being on the national do-not-contact list.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Chow wrote in a letter to a group of families of victims of the crackdown this month: "This is an absurd trial where the plaintiff has become the defendant."
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
“Donte, can I make you lead plaintiff? Can I do that?”
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
