litigation

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce litigation (audio)
plural litigations
: the act, process, or practice of settling a dispute in a court of law : the act or process of litigating
an issue that has been in litigation for years
an attorney who specializes in the litigation of property disputes
The American Judicial System generally limits the filing of lawsuits to individuals with a personal stake in the litigation, but there are instances when litigants cannot themselves prosecute an action.Jonathan Mahler
also : a legal action or proceeding (such as a lawsuit)
"You can't realize how much it costs to run one of these litigations. To get a battery of lawyers into a courtroom and do all the planning … and so on costs $500,000." Gordon Gould

Examples of litigation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Cramer said the pharmaceutical giant still has litigation hanging over its head. Julie Coleman, CNBC, 11 July 2025 On July 1, AMC announced an agreement with key creditors, debt holders and other lenders that offered more financial flexibility, resolved key litigation and allow the company to focus on box office upside. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2025 The process takes years, costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and usually entails additional litigation. Scott Peters, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025 In spite of his advocacy, Keefe never lost sight that the goal of litigation was justice, according to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who faced Keefe very early in his career, first as a trial lawyer and later as U.S. Attorney. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for litigation

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigation was in 1612

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Cite this Entry

“Litigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigation. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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