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

The deportations have raised litigation and questions about their legality. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

In the state litigation against Kalshi, evading these taxes is often prominently highlighted. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026

Turk filed for bankruptcy in June 2025 — halting any litigation from moving forward without permission from the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. — Taylor O'Connor 17, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

What happened right after that misindentification is at the heart of the current litigation. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 17 July 2026

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