litigation

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce litigation (audio)
plural litigations
: the act, process, or practice of settling a dispute in a court of law : the act or process of litigating
an issue that has been in litigation for years
an attorney who specializes in the litigation of property disputes
The American Judicial System generally limits the filing of lawsuits to individuals with a personal stake in the litigation, but there are instances when litigants cannot themselves prosecute an action.Jonathan Mahler
also : a legal action or proceeding (such as a lawsuit)
"You can't realize how much it costs to run one of these litigations. To get a battery of lawyers into a courtroom and do all the planning … and so on costs $500,000." Gordon Gould

Examples of litigation 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.
However, ongoing litigation hangs a cloud over their worth. Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024 The most notable example was fighting photo identification for voting, a constitutional amendment voters approved decisively but Cooper essentially blocked via litigation for more than half a decade. Alan Wooten | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Dec. 2024 While one source said the legal action is ongoing, the litigation is not creating any prohibitive financial distress for VREG. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024 Pennsylvania officials declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for litigation 

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigation was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near litigation

Cite this Entry

“Litigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigation. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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