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 plaintiff was William Belichick, and he was being represented by an attorney named Jeffrey Kessler, who by then had already litigated a number of successful antitrust lawsuits on behalf of the NFL Players Association and its members. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2024

Though lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case, who include17-year old trans boy Phoebe Cross, argued that the ban violated the equal protection clause of the state constitution, the justices did not find on that basis. —Trans Formations Project, Them, 13 Dec. 2024

The remaining plaintiff is the Consumer Federation of America, an association of nonprofit consumer health and safety organizations with a combined membership of 50 million people. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024

Walmart is continuing to dispute responsibility and will also dispute the plaintiff's claim that Allen-Bey's injury led to his death. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 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