litigious

adjective

li·​ti·​gious lə-ˈti-jəs 

li-

1

a

: disputatious, contentious

in a litigious mood

b

: prone to engage in lawsuits

an increasingly litigious society

2

: subject to litigation

not known to be litigious when purchased

—James Muirhead

3

: of, relating to, or marked by litigation

a litigious situation

litigiously adverb

litigiousness noun

Examples of litigious in a Sentence

a very litigious group of people

this litigious age in which we live

Recent Examples on the Web

Coinbase shares rocketed 31% on Nov. 6, the day after the election, on optimism that the incoming administration would adopt more crypto-friendly policies following a challenging and litigious four years during President Joe Biden’s term in office. —Ari Levy, CNBC, 13 May 2025

Just as insurers are fleeing California due to the mounting risks of wildfires and the inability to maintain profitability in an increasingly litigious and regulated environment, refiners could follow suit. —George Peppas, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2025

Their relationship has become increasingly toxic and litigious ever since. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025

Vincent is credited with managing a litigious process that led to Rose accepting a lifetime ban from baseball. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin litigiosus, from litigium dispute, from litigare

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for litigious

• irreligious
• nonreligious
• interreligious
• prestigious
• prodigious
• religious

Legal Definition

litigious

adjective

li·​ti·​gious li-ˈti-jəs 

1

: prone to engage in lawsuits or legal maneuvers especially to an excessive degree

a litigious pro se prisoner … filed fifty-one cases

—In re Oliver, 682 F.2d 443 (1982)

2

: subject to litigation

acquired only a possible litigious claim

—Wells v. Joseph, 95 So. 2d 843 (1957)

3

: of, relating to, or marked by litigation

litigiously adverb

litigiousness noun