litigator

[lit-i-gey-ter]

noun

1. a courtroom lawyer.

2. a litigant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of litigator¹

First recorded in 1900–05; litigate ( def. ) + -or ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Greg Doll, an entertainment litigator and partner at the Los Angeles firm Doll Amir & Eley, said while the vast majority of similar civil cases are settled before trial, the Lively lawsuit could be an exception.

From Los Angeles Times

Park County enlisted bulldog litigators Stuart Liner and Bryan Freedman to prepare a lawsuit targeting Paramount and Skydance over the latter’s heavy involvement.

From Los Angeles Times

At the firm in his later years he was known as a mentor who shared cases that helped younger litigators launch their careers.

From Los Angeles Times

Respected Washington litigator Abbe David Lowell this week joined the team representing the New York advocacy group, which has vowed to sue Paramount should it settle with Trump.

From Los Angeles Times

As the chief litigator for federal agencies, the DOJ files cases against polluters.

From Salon

When To Use

What does litigator mean?

A litigator is a lawyer, especially one who specializes in civil cases.To litigate is to engage in a legal proceeding, such as a lawsuit. It can mean to bring a lawsuit or to contest one. The word especially refers to what litigators do in such a proceeding.Less commonly, litigator can refer to a person engaged in a lawsuit. However, a more common word for this is litigant.The process of engaging in a legal proceeding is called litigation. To be in litigation typically means to be engaged in a civil legal proceeding (as opposed to a criminal one, in which one is said to be on trial).Example: He was a prominent litigator in the ’80s before he became a prosecutor.