as in defendants
law
someone who brings a legal action against another person or against whom a legal action is brought
Both litigants chose to represent themselves in court.
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Recent Examples of litigants
City attorneys used the digital program to transfer discovery to opposing counsel and litigants.
—
City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Legislators seek solutions other than lawsuits For more than a decade, lawmakers have been chipping away at the ADA accessibility quagmire — working to incentivize businesses to comply with the law and to dissuade high-frequency litigants from suing so often.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Frustrated litigants may or may not be the best source to expound on the performance of guardianship judges.
—Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
Other litigants’ right to access to courts is at risk because execution litigation must take priority.
—Melanie Verdecia, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Once a complaint is filed, attorneys told us, litigants using AI often proceed to file a steady drip of new motions and other documents, prompting the professionals on the other side of the case to pour a huge number of hours into reading and responding to the outflow of material.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
In this case, however, your expertise is needed to help a jury (or litigants) decide whether someone’s personal or professional behavior deviated from the norm in a way that would irreparably harm another person.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
My leadership on the bench is guided by judicial ethics, the Constitution, and a commitment to impartiality, independence, and due process — principles that serve all litigants, regardless of political belief.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane and Mitch Green personally offered to connect prospective litigants with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and the state attorney general’s office.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
City News Service, Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Legislators seek solutions other than lawsuits For more than a decade, lawmakers have been chipping away at the ADA accessibility quagmire — working to incentivize businesses to comply with the law and to dissuade high-frequency litigants from suing so often.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Frustrated litigants may or may not be the best source to expound on the performance of guardianship judges.
—Jc Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 22 Mar. 2026
Other litigants’ right to access to courts is at risk because execution litigation must take priority.
—Melanie Verdecia, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Once a complaint is filed, attorneys told us, litigants using AI often proceed to file a steady drip of new motions and other documents, prompting the professionals on the other side of the case to pour a huge number of hours into reading and responding to the outflow of material.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
In this case, however, your expertise is needed to help a jury (or litigants) decide whether someone’s personal or professional behavior deviated from the norm in a way that would irreparably harm another person.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
My leadership on the bench is guided by judicial ethics, the Constitution, and a commitment to impartiality, independence, and due process — principles that serve all litigants, regardless of political belief.
—Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane and Mitch Green personally offered to connect prospective litigants with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and the state attorney general’s office.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for litigants
Noun
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Both defendants have a status hearing Thursday morning in New Orleans and both were ordered to surrender their passports.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
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Duffy said the trial, which included 11 defendants and 360 counts, took place over more than five months, ending with a marathon, month-long jury deliberation.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s no guarantee that new maps across the country will play out the way two parties hope.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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In other words, Visit KC is betting heavily on people choosing to come to Kansas City for everything happening around the matches — Fan Fest, watch parties and the broader atmosphere — not just the games themselves.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Illinois Supreme Court’s Democratic majority wrote in April 2025 that the plaintiffs waited too long to contest the maps drawn in 2021, but did not address arguments of unconstitutional gerrymandering.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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In February, the city banded with more than a dozen other cities and counties to become additional plaintiffs in an existing lawsuit filed last summer by a group led by Fresno, California.—
Emma Hurt,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Litigants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/litigants. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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