litigator

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tor ˈli-tə-ˌgā-tər 

plural litigators

: one who carries on a legal contest by judicial process : one who litigates legal cases

As a civil-rights litigator, Payton had argued a Richmond, Va., case before the Supreme Court …

—William Greider

For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago.

—John Grisham

In the 1950's and 60's, he became known as the consummate litigator. Lawyers and judges describe him in the courtroom as wily, charming, eloquent and erudite, with a light but deft touch at cross-examination.

—Jan Hoffman

Examples of litigator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He has been described as one of the best litigators in the country, representing some of the largest financial companies in the world in billion-dollar lawsuits. —Fabio Bertoni, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025

Winston & Strawn’s Jeffrey Kessler, who represents 23XI and Front Row, and Latham & Watkins’ Christopher Yates, who represents NASCAR, are two of the most celebrated sports litigators in America. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025

Freedman in recent years has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most prominent litigators. —Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025

In 2023, her team of lawyers was led by superstar litigator Alex Spiro, who is well-known for frequently representing Elon Musk. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for litigator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Legal Definition

litigator

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tor ˈli-tə-ˌgā-tər 

: one that litigates

especially : a lawyer skilled at litigation