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We won't complain about the origins of plaintiff, although complain and plaintiff are distantly related; both can be traced back to plangere, a Latin word meaning "to strike, beat one's breast, or lament." Plaintiff comes most immediately from Middle English plaintif, itself an Anglo-French borrowing tracing back to plaint, meaning "lamentation." (The English word plaintive is also related.) Logically enough, plaintiff applies to the one who does the complaining in a legal case.
Examples of plaintiff in a Sentence
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Their request was denied because the plaintiffs are considered general public consumers of art, rather than professional art buyers, and are also based in Normandy.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 June 2026
That order is narrow and only covers the active-duty plaintiffs in the case.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 1 June 2026
How to tax the fund’s distributions to people other than the plaintiffs is a topic of debate in Congress.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaintiff
Cite this Entry
“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintiff. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plaintiff
noun
Legal Definition
plaintiff
noun
Middle French plaintif, from plaintif, adj., grieving, from plaint lamentation, from Latin planctus, from plangere to strike, beat one's breast, lament
