litigate

verb

lit·​i·​gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating

intransitive verb

: to carry on a legal contest by judicial (see judicial sense 1a) process
only states can litigate before this courtR. H. Heindel

transitive verb

1
: to decide and settle in a court of law
litigate a claim
2
archaic : dispute
litigable adjective

Examples of litigate in a Sentence

They agree to litigate all disputes in this court. The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate.
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.
The agency may be reluctant to implement this law because the Amalgamated Transit Union has litigated to block federal grants on the grounds that PEPRA violates the 1964 Urban Mass Transportation Act. Marc Joffe, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024 Democrats and Republicans have filed dozens of suits across the country over voting rules and other election matters that could be litigated all the way up to the high court − especially if the presidential contest is close. Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024 Rising competition both in China and globally makes firms more willing to litigate who owns what IP, Preston said. Johanna Costigan, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024 Lawyers including Seth Waxman of Wilmer Hale, Don Verrilli of Munger, Tolles & Olson, and John Devaney of Perkins Coie are litigating cases and working with local counsel in battleground states. Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for litigate 

Word History

Etymology

Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive — more at agent

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigate was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near litigate

Cite this Entry

“Litigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigate. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

litigate

verb
lit·​i·​gate ˈlit-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating
: to carry on a lawsuit
litigation noun
litigator noun

Legal Definition

litigate

verb
lit·​i·​gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating

intransitive verb

: to seek resolution of a legal contest by judicial process
chose to litigate rather than settle

transitive verb

: to make the subject of a suit
litigate a claim
broadly : to contest or resolve in court
litigate an insanity defense
litigable adjective
litigation noun
litigational
-shə-nəl
adjective
litigatory
ˈli-tə-gə-ˌtōr-ē
adjective
Etymology

Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive

More from Merriam-Webster on litigate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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