litigate

verb

lit·​i·​gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating

intransitive verb

: to carry on a legal contest by judicial (see judicial sense 1a) process
… only states can litigate before this Court …—R. H. Heindel

transitive verb

1
: to decide and settle in a court of law
litigate a claim
2
archaic : dispute
litigable
ˈli-ti-gə-bəl How to pronounce litigate (audio)
adjective

Examples of litigate in a Sentence

They agree to litigate all disputes in this court. The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate.
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.
This specific scenario is still hypothetical, but in general, mapmakers using their powers to litigate factional and personal grievances isn’t hard to imagine. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 His legal team immediately filed a motion to toss out much of the state’s case on double jeopardy grounds, prompting the judge to effectively postpone the state trial while the parties litigate the issues. — Kara Scannell, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026 The tech billionaire has often litigated regulatory and business disputes online. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 That protection will remain in place while the case is litigated. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for litigate

Word History

Etymology

Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive — more at agent

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of litigate was in 1615

Rhymes for litigate

See All Rhymes for litigate

Browse Nearby Words

litigant
litigate
litigated motion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Litigate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litigate. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

litigate

verb
lit·​i·​gate ˈlit-ə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating
: to carry on a lawsuit
litigation
ˌlit-ə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce litigate (audio)
noun
litigator
ˈlit-ə-ˌgāt-ər How to pronounce litigate (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

litigate

verb
lit·​i·​gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt How to pronounce litigate (audio)
litigated; litigating

intransitive verb

: to seek resolution of a legal contest by judicial process
chose to litigate rather than settle

transitive verb

: to make the subject of a suit
litigate a claim
broadly : to contest or resolve in court
litigate an insanity defense
litigable
ˈli-tə-gə-bəl How to pronounce litigate (audio)
adjective
litigation
ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən How to pronounce litigate (audio)
noun
litigational
-shə-nəl
adjective
litigatory
ˈli-tə-gə-ˌtōr-ē
adjective
Etymology

Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive

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