: a person who brings a legal action compare defendant

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We won't complain about the origins of plaintiff, although complain and plaintiff are distantly related; both can be traced back to plangere, a Latin word meaning "to strike, beat one's breast, or lament." Plaintiff comes most immediately from Middle English plaintif, itself an Anglo-French borrowing tracing back to plaint, meaning "lamentation." (The English word plaintive is also related.) Logically enough, plaintiff applies to the one who does the complaining in a legal case.

Examples of plaintiff in a Sentence

the judge ruled that the plaintiff's lawsuit was groundless, and he dismissed it
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 lawsuit was filed in October in Miami-Dade County on behalf of a single plaintiff and amended this month to add five new plaintiffs, all residents of the jurisdiction that the complaint points out is uniquely vulnerable to hotter temperatures, rising seas and more damaging storms. Amy Green, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024 What Happens Next Welch is seeking to avoid any lawsuits by siding with the plaintiffs and has advised people who lost money to contact the plaintiffs' lawyers. Sean O'Driscoll, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024 This viewpoint echoes one raised by the plaintiffs’ lead attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, in a filing earlier on Monday. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Dec. 2024 Should Liman rule in the plaintiffs’ favor, congestion pricing will be paused pending a trial on the legal challenge’s merits. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 21 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plaintiff 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English plaintif, from Anglo-French, from pleintif, adjective

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaintiff was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near plaintiff

Cite this Entry

“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintiff. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

: the complaining party in a lawsuit

Legal Definition

: the party who institutes a legal action or claim (as a counterclaim) see also complainant, complaint, libellant compare defendant, prosecution
Etymology

Middle French plaintif, from plaintif, adj., grieving, from plaint lamentation, from Latin planctus, from plangere to strike, beat one's breast, lament

More from Merriam-Webster on plaintiff

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