Litigation
/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/
Definitions
The process of resolving disputes in a court of law; a lawsuit.
/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/
The process of taking a case to a court of law to be decided.
The company is facing extensive litigation due to the environmental damage.
💡 Simply: Litigation is like when people or companies have a big disagreement, and they go to a judge to try and sort it out. It’s like a special type of game where lawyers help decide who's right or wrong.
👶 For kids: Litigation is when grown-ups have a big argument and have to go to court to solve it.
More Examples
The lawyers spent years preparing for the complex litigation.
They settled the litigation before it went to trial.
How It's Used
"The company is involved in ongoing litigation regarding patent infringement."
"Avoiding costly litigation is a key priority for the legal department."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
avoid litigation
To prevent a lawsuit.
"The company took steps to avoid litigation by settling out of court."
file litigation
To initiate a lawsuit.
"The aggrieved party decided to file litigation against the defendant."
From Late Latin litigatio ('a lawsuit'), from litigare ('to dispute, sue'), from lis ('lawsuit, dispute').
Used since the 15th century, often in legal and business contexts to describe the process of legal proceedings.
Memory tip
Think 'legal battle' in a courtroom.
Word Origin
"to dispute, sue"