litigate

verb

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lit·i·gate | \ ˈli-tə-ˌgāt

litigated; litigating

Definition of litigate

intransitive verb

: to carry on a legal contest by judicial (see judicial sense 1a) process only states can litigate before this court— R. H. Heindel

transitive verb

1 : to decide and settle in a court of law litigate a claim

2 archaic : dispute

Other Words from litigate More Example Sentences Learn More About litigate

Examples 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 In California, the dedicated lawyers who litigate these not-so-vicious cases are members of a Fido-friendly squad at the law firm Cooley. — Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2022 Brittain and Cloud parted after graduation, as Brittain headed first to Mississippi to litigate school desegregation cases and later to work for a private practice in San Francisco in the early 1970s. — Seamus Mcavoy, courant.com, 3 Apr. 2022 But in Washington, employees must be allowed to litigate noncompetes in their home state, Schur said. — Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2021 Colorado does not regulate HOAs, and little has been known about how often the groups litigate against homeowners. — ProPublica, 7 Apr. 2022 In response to ClientEarth’s decision to litigate against other members of the board, Shell said the company was delivering on its global strategy that supported the Paris Agreement. — Sophie Mellor, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2022 When a commercial real estate or other business transaction leads to a dispute, the parties sometimes prefer to arbitrate rather than litigate. — Joshua Stein, Forbes, 27 Apr. 2021 What motivated Motley to consistently put her life on the line to litigate cases that sought to dismantle racial segregation? — Brandon Tensley, CNN, 27 Jan. 2022 Fuller said the new lawsuit doesn’t seek to litigate Curtis’ actions, but redirect armed officers away from mental health crises entirely. — oregonlive, 15 Feb. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'litigate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.