litigate

L1I1T1I1G2A1T1E1
/ˈlɪtɪɡeɪt/

verb

To go to law; to carry on a lawsuit.

“You can't keep litigating this same point!”

Similar
actionsueprocess
OriginLatin lītigātus →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

verblitigate (third-person singular simple present litigates, present participle litigating, simple past and past participle litigated)

present singular third person litigates · participle present litigating · participle past litigated · past litigated

  1. intransitiveTo go to law; to carry on a lawsuit.

    Ain't got no place to lay your head / Somebody came and took your bed / Don't worry, be happy / The landlord say your rent is late / He may have to litigate

    1988, “Don't Worry, Be Happy”, in Bobby McFerrin (lyrics), Simple Pleasures, performed by Bobby McFerrin
  2. transitiveTo contest in law.
  3. transitivetransferred senseTo dispute; to fight over.

    You can't keep litigating this same point!

Synonyms & antonyms

verbengage in legal proceedings

Similar
actionsue
Broader
challenge

verbinstitute legal proceedings against; file a suit against

Similar
actionsueprocess
Broader
challenge
Also see
actioncontendprocesssue

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlītigātus
  2. Englishlitigate

First attested in 1606; borrowed from Latin lītigātus, perfect passive participle of lītigō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from līs (“a lawsuit”, oblique stem in līt-) + -igō (denominative verb-forming suffix).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian съдя се
  • съдя се (sădja se)to go to law
Catalan litigar
  • litigarto go to law
Danish retsforfølge, procedere
  • retsforfølgeto go to law
  • procedereto go to law
Dutch procederen, voor de rechter dagen
  • procederento go to law
  • voor de rechter dagento go to law
Finnish käräjöidä, käydä oikeutta
  • käräjöidäto go to law
  • käydä oikeuttato go to law
German prozessieren
  • prozessierento go to law
Latin lītigō
  • lītigōto go to law
Māori hāmene
  • hāmeneto go to law
Polish procesować się, sądzić się
  • procesować sięto go to law
  • sądzić sięto go to law
Portuguese litigar
  • litigarto go to law
Russian суди́ться
  • суди́ться (sudítʹsja)to go to law
Spanish litigar
  • litigarto go to law
Vietnamese kiện tụng, kiện cáo
  • kiện tụngto go to law
  • kiện cáoto go to law

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tagilite
Cite this entry
APA

litigate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigate

MLA

“litigate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “litigate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigate.

Source: litigate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.