as in complainant
the person in a legal proceeding who makes a charge of wrongdoing against another
the judge ruled that the plaintiff's lawsuit was groundless, and he dismissed it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plaintiff
The lead plaintiffs in the case are the City of Hollywood Police Officers Retirement System and the Pembroke Pines Firefighters & Police Officers Pension Fund.
—
Nate Monroe, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
The Department of Justice argued that only the plaintiffs in the case—a handful of small businesses—should be subject to refunds.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.
—Jennifer McDermott, Fortune, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaintiff
Nate Monroe, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026
The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
The Department of Justice argued that only the plaintiffs in the case—a handful of small businesses—should be subject to refunds.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.
—Jennifer McDermott, Fortune, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for plaintiff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintiff
Noun
-
After speaking with the complainant, Baltimore County officer Paul Catalfamo and a second officer located a man matching the description.—
Maggie Trovato,
Baltimore Sun,
9 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, one of the responding officers identified the suspect seen in surveillance footage as the complainant in a domestic violence call earlier this year on Walnut Street.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The anonymous male accuser filed his lawsuit against Combs this week in California.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
He was released from custody on March 31 after posting a $600,000 bond and ordered to have no contact with his accuser, who is now 14, or any unsupervised contact with any minors under the age of 18 — including his four young children and two youngest siblings.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
If the appeals court affirms the conviction, the handbook says the appellant can then petition the United States Supreme Court for a certiorari review.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
Previously, when a Planning Commission decision was appealed, the City Council could only consider the issues raised by the appellant.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintiff. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
