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
Job security has been cited by litigants and regulators in recent years in not just the Nexstar deal but a prior one proposed by Tegna with private equity firm Standard General.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 May 2026
City attorneys used the digital program to transfer discovery to opposing counsel and litigants.
—City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Still, one risk of multiple, simultaneous legal actions is that a court tells a litigant these actions are interdependent and should be resolved in one forum.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Both have been in the press before, with Pomponio behind a rash of lawsuits in Contra Costa County, and Malakauskas having represented two other serial litigants that were featured in a 2014 Modesto Bee investigation.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 May 2026
City attorneys used the digital program to transfer discovery to opposing counsel and litigants.
—City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Still, one risk of multiple, simultaneous legal actions is that a court tells a litigant these actions are interdependent and should be resolved in one forum.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Both have been in the press before, with Pomponio behind a rash of lawsuits in Contra Costa County, and Malakauskas having represented two other serial litigants that were featured in a 2014 Modesto Bee investigation.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litigant
Noun
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But the judge, Clifton Newman, responded with a forceful rebuke of Murdaugh and alluded to the defendant’s addiction to prescription painkillers.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
Both Rollins and the department are named as defendants in the lawsuit.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
As the leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives, a fundamentally majoritarian institution, Jeffries has little ability to get anything done.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Many can win by appealing to their party’s base, who are often more likely to vote in primaries.—
Ashley Wu,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The plaintiffs are two transgender teens and their parents, who are all identified by pseudonyms in court filings.—
Matthew Kelly
May 19,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
The plaintiff’s counsel repeatedly questioned Altman’s character, accusing him of being untrustworthy, and of routinely lying.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Litigant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litigant. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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