PLAINTIFF Synonyms: 11 Similar and Opposite Words

plaintiff

noun

ˈplān-təf

Definition of plaintiff

as in complainant

the person in a legal proceeding who makes a charge of wrongdoing against another the judge ruled that the plaintiff's lawsuit was groundless, and he dismissed it

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of plaintiff The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court, which sided with the gay plaintiffs and their allies in a 6-3 decision. — Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 To gain standing, plaintiffs must allege they have been harmed or will be harmed; asserting there could be harm to others who are similarly situated isn’t enough. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say more than 100 additional people have come forward with injury claims. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Tre White has joined KU’s basketball team after winning a preliminary injunction with other plaintiffs in Indiana court. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plaintiff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintiff

Noun

Someone has to interview the complainant, the accused and any witnesses, usually within days.

— Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The average reported loss among complainants 60 and older was approximately $38,500, and nearly 12,500 people in that age group reported losing more than $100,000.

— Angela Ramos, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of complainant

Noun

Hochul said the district attorney closed the investigation without interviewing the accuser or others, while Cornell police failed to relay key details of her account to prosecutors.

— Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Current law says that if an accuser knowingly and willingly drinks too much, there is no crime for someone else to take advantage of the accuser’s incapacitation.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of accuser

Noun

Commercial cases are more complex, typically involving hundreds of pages of appraisals and legalese from the appellant.

— Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
If the appeals court affirms the conviction, the handbook says the appellant can then petition the United States Supreme Court for a certiorari review.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 12 May 2026

Definition of appellant

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plaintiff

plaintiffs

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“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintiff. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plaintiff

noun

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