litigant
/'litigənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A party to a lawsuit: A "litigant" is a person or entity directly involved in a lawsuit, either as the party bringing the case (plaintiff) or the party defending against it (defendant).
- Someone engaged in litigation: The term refers specifically to someone who is a participant in the formal, legal process of resolving a dispute in court.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The judge addressed both litigants before the trial began.
- As a litigant in the case, she had the right to be present at all hearings.
- The new law aims to protect the rights of individual litigants against large corporations.
Advanced Usage
"Pro se litigant": A person who represents themselves in a court case without a lawyer.
- The court provided special assistance for the pro se litigant.
"Adverse litigant": Refers to the opposing party in a lawsuit.
- The attorney questioned the adverse litigant during the deposition.
Variants and Related Words
Litigate (verb): To engage in a lawsuit; to bring a dispute to a court of law for settlement.
- They decided to litigate the contract dispute.
Litigation (noun): The process of taking legal action; the conduct of a lawsuit.
- The lengthy litigation exhausted both parties financially.
Litigator (noun): A lawyer who specializes in taking cases to court.
- She is a skilled litigator with many trial victories.
Synonyms
- Party (in a legal context): One of the persons or sides in a legal proceeding.
- Contestor: One who contests or is involved in a contest (often used in broader dispute contexts).
- Suer (archaic): One who brings a suit; a plaintiff.
Related Phrases
"Litigant in person": Another term for a pro se litigant; a party who conducts their own case without legal representation.
- The court has guidelines for dealing with a litigant in person.
"Prevailing litigant": The party who wins the lawsuit.
- The court awarded costs to the prevailing litigant.
Noun
- (law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation
- plaintiffs and defendants are both litigants