litigant

noun

lit·​i·​gant ˈli-ti-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
Synonyms of litigantnext
: one engaged in a lawsuit
litigant adjective

Examples of litigant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While researchers belatedly debunked many of those claims, vaccine makers wound up on the hook for significant payouts to litigants. — Joel Dodge, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026 Nigeria’s president is locked in a fierce reelection battle — one that is not just playing out among voters ahead of January polls, but pitting teams of lawyers and lobbyists against a lone litigant half a world away in California. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has gained a conservative supermajority with a record of siding with conservative religious litigants who argue that LGBTQ protections violate their First Amendment rights. — Mark Satta, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Horton said the study’s results suggest that feelings can cloud a litigant’s judgment. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for litigant

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigant was in 1659

Browse Nearby Words

litigable
litigant
litigate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Litigant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

litigant

noun
lit·​i·​gant ˈlit-i-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
: a person taking part in a lawsuit

Legal Definition

litigant

noun
lit·​i·​gant ˈli-ti-gənt How to pronounce litigant (audio)
: an active party to litigation
litigant adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on litigant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for litigant

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All