PLAINTIFF Synonyms: 11 Similar and Opposite Words

plaintiff

noun

ˈplān-təf

Definition of plaintiff

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

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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 In Chicago, the city is on track to blow past the $252 million spent last year to resolve police lawsuits, mostly involving plaintiffs who went to prison based on faulty evidence, according to local news reports. — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit asks the court to find the DNA Act and its implementing regulations unconstitutional and stop the routine collection of DNA from individuals arrested for non-serious offenses, like their plaintiffs. — CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 In those cases, the transition to single-member districts was initiated by legal challenges alleging voter discrimination, with plaintiffs saying the racial makeup of the boards didn’t reflect the racial makeup of district students. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026 In the courtroom, Boutrous and four other attorneys sat at the plaintiffs’ table, while there was just one attorney on the defense side, representing the White House. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plaintiff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaintiff

Noun

Someone has to interview the complainant, the accused and any witnesses, usually within days.

— Beth Worthy, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The average reported loss among complainants 60 and older was approximately $38,500, and nearly 12,500 people in that age group reported losing more than $100,000.

— Angela Ramos, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of complainant

Noun

The process is so demanding that many victims drop their case or choose to go an informal route, in which the accused might be asked not to take classes with the accuser, or to switch universities — often with no mark on their record.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Cornell said both the accuser and accused students had opportunities to review evidence, testify and challenge the findings through an appeals process.

— Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of accuser

Noun

Commercial cases are more complex, typically involving hundreds of pages of appraisals and legalese from the appellant.

— Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of appellant

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plaint

plaintiff

plaintiffs

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“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaintiff. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of plaintiff

noun

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