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
Hazan is on the verge of obtaining a $1 million default judgment against Beasley, when the matter should have been litigated through the NBPA arbitration process.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Then came the infamous 2011 trade, the origins of which are still being litigated on podcasts and social media to this day.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
That means the latest census data available to lawmakers is from 2020, the same figures used to draw the current congressional map that is in effect and being litigated in federal court.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2025
Baldoni is represented by Bryan Freedman, a prominent lawyer known for aggressively litigating cases.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 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.
Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Then came the infamous 2011 trade, the origins of which are still being litigated on podcasts and social media to this day.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2025
That means the latest census data available to lawmakers is from 2020, the same figures used to draw the current congressional map that is in effect and being litigated in federal court.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2025
Baldoni is represented by Bryan Freedman, a prominent lawyer known for aggressively litigating cases.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 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 19 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