plaintiff

noun

plain·​tiff ˈplān-təf 

: a person who brings a legal action compare defendant

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• complainant
• suer

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

The goal of the decree was, essentially, to give people of color the opportunity to be elected to the board, said Daniel Ortega, an attorney for the plaintiffs in the initial lawsuit who is now representing the surviving plaintiffs in the case, during the first hearing over the ballot error. —Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

Connolly also ordered the state to cover plaintiffs’ court costs on account of the confusion sowed by regulators’ incorrect instructions. —Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

In a separate case, a group of plaintiffs identifying as non-African Americans filed a lawsuit in western Louisiana, arguing that the new map violated the Constitution by overly prioritizing race. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Alternatively, Musk’s lawyers said the case qualified under diversity jurisdiction, referring to the federal courts’ ability to hear cases if the defendants and plaintiffs are from different states and the amount in controversy is over $75,000. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

plaintiff

noun

plain·​tiff ˈplānt-əf 

: the complaining party in a lawsuit

Legal Definition

plaintiff

noun

plain·​tiff ˈplān-təf 

: 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