litigation

noun

lit·​i·​ga·​tion ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce litigation (audio)
plural litigations
: the act, process, or practice of settling a dispute in a court of law : the act or process of litigating
an issue that has been in litigation for years
an attorney who specializes in the litigation of property disputes
The American Judicial System generally limits the filing of lawsuits to individuals with a personal stake in the litigation, but there are instances when litigants cannot themselves prosecute an action.Jonathan Mahler
also : a legal action or proceeding (such as a lawsuit)
"You can't realize how much it costs to run one of these litigations. To get a battery of lawyers into a courtroom and do all the planning … and so on costs $500,000." Gordon Gould

Examples of litigation in a Sentence

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.
However, his biggest strength as a pageant coach doesn’t come from nearly 40 years of civil litigation and frequenting courthouses. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 Jenni Riehle, a spokeswoman for the MDOC, declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Paul Egan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025 Violating Wisconsin’s one-party consent law can result in civil penalties, including actual or liquidated damages of at least $1,000, punitive damages and reimbursement for the victim’s attorney fees and litigation costs, according to state law. Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025 The Florida case centers on Nicklaus’ claims that Milstein used the New York litigation and media outreach to tarnish his reputation. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for litigation

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigation was in 1612

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Cite this Entry

“Litigation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigation. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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