litigate
verb
lit·i·gate
ˈli-tə-ˌgāt 
litigated; litigating
: to carry on a legal contest by judicial (see judicial sense 1a) process
only states can litigate before this court—
R. H. Heindel
R. H. HeindelExamples of litigate in a Sentence
They agree to litigate all disputes in this court.
The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate.
Recent Examples on the Web
This is what will be litigated during the course of this campaign.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Circuit splits provide a compelling reason for the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, since otherwise the rights and obligations of Americans can vary based on which circuit their cases happen to be litigated.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 July 2025
This account of how and why Columbia decided to come to a deal with the Trump administration rather than to litigate is drawn from interviews with six people with knowledge of the negotiations, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
—New York Times, 25 July 2025
The custody battle could potentially continue to be litigated in Utah.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for litigate
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.
John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Circuit splits provide a compelling reason for the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, since otherwise the rights and obligations of Americans can vary based on which circuit their cases happen to be litigated.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 29 July 2025
This account of how and why Columbia decided to come to a deal with the Trump administration rather than to litigate is drawn from interviews with six people with knowledge of the negotiations, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
—New York Times, 25 July 2025
The custody battle could potentially continue to be litigated in Utah.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for litigate
Cite this Entry
“Litigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigate. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
litigate
verb
lit·i·gate
ˈli-tə-ˌgāt
litigated; litigating
: to seek resolution of a legal contest by judicial process
chose to litigate rather than settle
: to make the subject of a suit
litigate a claim
broadly
: to contest or resolve in court
litigate an insanity defense
litigational
adjective
-shə-nəl
litigatory
adjective
ˈli-tə-gə-ˌtōr-ē
Etymology
Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share