What does litigator mean?
A litigator is someone who brings or conducts a lawsuit. The word is especially common in legal, commercial, and business contexts, where it may refer to a lawyer representing a client or, more broadly, to an organization involved in a legal dispute. Unlike litigant, which identifies a person or organization involved in the dispute, litigator usually suggests an active legal role in pursuing or managing the case. The term can be used for courtroom advocates as well as lawyers handling negotiations, motions, discovery, and settlement discussions. It conveys a more specific and professional meaning than the general word lawyer. In business reporting, phrases such as corporate litigator and frequent litigator describe a party that regularly becomes involved in legal disputes.
nounA person who brings or conducts a lawsuit, especially on behalf of a client in a civil or commercial dispute. The term is most common in legal and business contexts.
- A person who brings or conducts a lawsuit, especially in a civil or commercial dispute.
- A person or organization involved in litigation as a party, particularly in business and legal contexts.
"The company appointed an experienced litigator to handle the dispute."
"The litigator presented a detailed argument to the court."
"The settlement was reached after both litigators exchanged discovery documents."
The regular plural is used for individual lawyers or legal representatives, and sometimes for organizations involved in litigation.
"The two litigators agreed to resolve the dispute outside court."
Not every person in a legal dispute is a litigator: one may be the litigant, while another is the lawyer representing that person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does litigator come from?
The word derives through English from the Latin litigator, an agent noun meaning one who disputes or brings a legal case. Latin litigare meant “to dispute” or “to sue,” and developed in legal contexts from its broader sense of arguing a case. Related English forms include litigate, litigation, and litigious, all reflecting the same tradition of dispute and legal contention.
Related word forms
How litigator is actually used
The term is chiefly used in legal, commercial, and business writing. It usually implies an active role in bringing or managing a lawsuit and can refer to a lawyer or, more broadly, to an organization that is a party to litigation.
Easily confused with litigator
A litigator is a lawyer or legal representative who conducts litigation, whereas a litigant is a person involved in a dispute who is not necessarily represented by a lawyer.