Standard Lemma guide

litigant

adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈlɪtɪɡənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: L IH1 T IH0 G AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Disposed to litigate; contending in law; engaged in a lawsuit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the parties litigant

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A party suing or being sued in a lawsuit, or otherwise calling upon the judicial process to determine the outcome of a suit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • plaintiffs and defendants are both litigants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: litigator

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: party

Narrower terms: defendant, suspect, appellant, plaintiff in error, filer, plaintiff, complainant, prevailing party

History

Etymology

From French litigant, from Middle French, from Latin litigans.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 訴訟當事人 /诉讼当事人 (sùsòng dāngshìrén) — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit
  • Finnish: asianosainen — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit
  • Hungarian: peres / perben álló fél — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit
  • Latin: lītigātor — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit
  • Macedonian: странка (stranka) — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit
  • Malay: litigan — a party suing or being sued in a lawsuit