litigious

adjective

li·​ti·​gious lə-ˈti-jəs 

li-

1

a

: disputatious, contentious

in a litigious mood

b

: prone to engage in lawsuits

an increasingly litigious society

2

: subject to litigation

… was not known to be litigious when purchased …

—James Muirhead

3

: of, relating to, or marked by litigation

a litigious situation

litigiously adverb

litigiousness noun

Examples of litigious in a Sentence

a very litigious group of people

this litigious age in which we live

Recent Examples on the Web

The aftermath of the fire has been litigious, with tenants accusing companies of not maintaining safety systems, ignoring complaints about fireworks and failing to secure the property after the fire. — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 24 July 2026

But that's the barest of sketches regarding the long, complicated, litigious, political, tortured road that got us to today. — Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 24 July 2026

An opportunity to benefit from FIFA’s litigious inconsistencies, which usually feel reserved for the A-list stars. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 July 2026

The process to build Venice Dell has been extraordinarily contentious — even in a state where development is often time-consuming and litigious. — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin litigiosus, from litigium dispute, from litigare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for litigious

• irreligious
• nonreligious
• interreligious
• prestigious
• prodigious
• religious

Legal Definition

litigious

adjective

li·​ti·​gious li-ˈti-jəs 

1

: prone to engage in lawsuits or legal maneuvers especially to an excessive degree

a litigious pro se prisoner … filed fifty-one cases

—In re Oliver, 682 F.2d 443 (1982)

2

: subject to litigation

acquired only a possible litigious claim

—Wells v. Joseph, 95 So. 2d 843 (1957)

3

: of, relating to, or marked by litigation

litigiously adverb

litigiousness noun