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.
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 All of the Ticketmaster class action suits involving the breach will be litigated together in Montana as a multidistrict litigation, part of a broader case involving other companies sued over the Snowflake breach. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 The legal community has no consensus on whether Title IX would apply to revenue-sharing funds distributed by schools, but the issue would almost certainly be litigated. Joe Sabin, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024 For a public unsure how to properly litigate Parker, the industry’s hypocrisy around Affleck was far more comfortable territory. Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 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 21 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!