as in defendants
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 litigants
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
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
Black citizens could now testify, regardless of litigants’ race.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 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
These litigants have spared no expense and likely would continue to pursue every possible path to a win.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Fans can expect to see Tommie Lee, Mehgan James, and Daphnique Springs, alongside everyday litigants whose real-life disputes spark equal parts laughter and drama.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
With a slew of generative AI tools available to anyone with an internet connection, a rising number of litigants are using AI to assist in their legal cases.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
There are few litigants besides the nation’s largest bank that could afford to pay such costs.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
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
Black citizens could now testify, regardless of litigants’ race.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 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
These litigants have spared no expense and likely would continue to pursue every possible path to a win.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Fans can expect to see Tommie Lee, Mehgan James, and Daphnique Springs, alongside everyday litigants whose real-life disputes spark equal parts laughter and drama.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
With a slew of generative AI tools available to anyone with an internet connection, a rising number of litigants are using AI to assist in their legal cases.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
There are few litigants besides the nation’s largest bank that could afford to pay such costs.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litigants
Noun
-
The Justice Department's NCAA basketball gambling investigation required nearly two years to fully uncover, spanning 26 criminal defendants.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Initial data shows that defendants are making the choice for treatment.—
Mike Hestrin,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Both parties have passed bills year after year aimed at spurring development, yet Colorado's housing market continues to be one of the most expensive in the country.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Under Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934, broadcasters are legally required to offer equal time to candidates from different parties running for the same office.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The trial will also serve as a test case to see what damages, if any, may be awarded to plaintiffs, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the nonpartisan American Enterprise Institute.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Attorneys for the plaintiffs say such distinctions are ephemeral, pointing out that YouTube has by far the youngest group of users, many of whom say the platform was an on-ramp to the world of social media.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Litigants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litigants. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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