as in defendant
law
someone who brings a legal action against another person or against whom a legal action is brought
Both litigants chose to represent themselves in court.
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Recent Examples of litigant
Even the most skilled, experienced litigant would have a tough time throwing out a case like this at a preliminary hearing stage.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
In addition, Jordan is a seasoned litigant.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were once prolific litigants and between them have sued Associated Newspapers, the publisher of , alone of four times.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
In this case, the majority of the court reached for an issue no one presented, setting aside the normal procedure of dealing only with the facts and questions presented by the litigants, Wood said.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025
In addition, Jordan is a seasoned litigant.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were once prolific litigants and between them have sued Associated Newspapers, the publisher of , alone of four times.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
In this case, the majority of the court reached for an issue no one presented, setting aside the normal procedure of dealing only with the facts and questions presented by the litigants, Wood said.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litigant
Noun
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The only other defendant in the case so far was Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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What happens when mentally ill defendants can’t be prosecuted?—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Beyond the federal government’s one-time contribution, several parties may contribute to a child’s account.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Very few voters have favorable opinions of political leaders in the other party.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Some plaintiffs are also asking that all disciplinary notations from their academic files be removed.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Litigant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litigant. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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