claimant

noun

claim·​ant ˈklā-mənt 

: one that asserts a right or title

a claimant to an estate

also : claimer sense 1

Examples of claimant in a Sentence

They are claimants to the dead man's estate.

Claimants will need to fill out the appropriate paperwork.

a dispute between two claimants to the throne

Recent Examples on the Web

In years without a hurricane, there can be temptation by investors to take the money left over after reinsurance as profit, according to Dan Tighe, an attorney who represents claimants against insurance companies. —Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026

Two of the claimants were complainants who gave evidence ​during Spacey's 2023 criminal trial in London, where ​the now 66-year-old actor was acquitted of all charges. —Reuters, NBC news, 19 Mar. 2026

Two of the civil claimants, whose identities are protected by legal orders, gave evidence during Spacey's criminal trial. —ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

Cooper served for years as an expert witness in workers’-comp cases, brought in to assess whether the claimant really had been struck. —Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for claimant

• payment
• copayment
• embayment
• nonpayment
• prepayment
• repayment
• overpayment
• underpayment

Kids Definition

claimant

noun

claim·​ant ˈklā-mənt 

: a person who claims to have a right to something

Legal Definition

claimant

noun

claim·​ant ˈklā-mənt 

: one that asserts a claim especially formally