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
Such a result would be nonsensical and a miscarriage of justice to the Bevins and other divorce litigants in Kentucky.
—
Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for litigant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litigant
Noun
-
About 20 minutes later the officers, who recognized the defendant from prior encounters, returned to the area with an Orange County probation officer to look for Trinidad, prosecutors said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The case status is open; a lawyer is listed for the petitioner, but not for the defendant, whose first name is listed as Josmer.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But the party’s narrow control of both chambers makes that a heavy lift.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Athletes just flood the zone and the party begins.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It was submitted by the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government.—
David A. Lieb,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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The plaintiffs' attorneys said the city is now on the hook for paying back $163 million in fines collected between 2012 and 2022 in excess of the $250 limit set by state law.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Litigant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litigant. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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