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
The wounds and humiliations of private life can rarely be redressed by law; literature offers a parallel tribunal in which those hurts are litigated and, if possible, imaginatively overcome.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
After losing at the trial court, the states and energy companies filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court asking the justices to pause the Obama regulation from going into effect while the parties litigated the case in the lower courts.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The ruling vacating Williams’ order and remanding the case back to her court means operations at the controversial facility will continue while the lower court litigates whether the state and federal government should be subjected to federal environmental regulations at the site.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Many of these efforts have ended up being litigated in court.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litigate
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Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
After losing at the trial court, the states and energy companies filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court asking the justices to pause the Obama regulation from going into effect while the parties litigated the case in the lower courts.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
The ruling vacating Williams’ order and remanding the case back to her court means operations at the controversial facility will continue while the lower court litigates whether the state and federal government should be subjected to federal environmental regulations at the site.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Many of these efforts have ended up being litigated in court.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litigate
Cite this Entry
“Litigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigate. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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
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