litigation

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən 

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

Under the claim that any promises made will now be legally enforced through litigation by climate activists, smart national leaders will shy away from new commitments. —Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

The hospital stated their commitment to patient care but declined to comment on ongoing litigation. —Jessica Van Egeren, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2025

The company said the transaction could trigger negative reactions from investors, employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners, and could also lead to litigation. —CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025

The Smartmatic depositions are undergoing redactions and litigation is underway to determine what might be made public, a spokesperson for Connolly told USA TODAY. —Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing litigation

• in litigation

Rhymes for litigation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation