litigious

L1I1T1I1G2I1O1U1S1
/lɪˈtɪd͡ʒəs/

adjective

Of or relating to litigation.

Similar
litigatiouslitiginouslegalisticcontentiouscombativedisputatiousdisputativeargumentative
OriginMiddle English litigious ← Latin lītigiōsus →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectivelitigious (comparative more litigious, superlative most litigious)

comparative more litigious · superlative most litigious

  1. lawOf or relating to litigation.

    This vvould of Neceſſity, breed an infinite Number of Brangles and litigious Suits in the Spiritual Courts, and put the vvretched Paſtor at perpetual Variance vvith his vvhole Pariſh.

    1732 March 6 (Gregorian calendar; date written), [Jonathan Swift], Considerations upon Two Bills Sent Down from the R[ight] H[onourable] the H[ouse] of L[ords] to the H[onoura]ble H[ouse] of C[ommons of Ireland] Relating to the Clergy of I[relan]d, London: […] A. Moore, […], published 1732, →OCLC, page 18

    Synonyms: litigatious, litiginous

  2. lawInclined to engage in lawsuits.

    The United States is a litigious society.

    2024, Johathan Sumption, The president’s crimes, in: Prospect, August 27 2024
    1 more example

    Tearing a page out of Monsanto's own playbook, the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), an advocacy group whose mandate is to represent the public's interest in the patent system, filed suit (PDF) on behalf of 60 organic farmers, small farm organizations, and seed businesses this week against the litigious agrichemical and genetically modified (GM) seed giant.

    2011 March 30, Barry Estabrook, “Echoing Big Agribusiness, Farmers Sue Monsanto”, in The Atlantic

    Synonyms: litigatious, litiginous, legalistic

  3. Argumentative or combative.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or relating to litigation.

Similar
litigatiouslitiginous

adjectiveInclined to engage in lawsuits.

Similar
litigatiouslitiginouslegalistic

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveinclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits

Similar
contentiouscombativedisputatiousdisputativeargumentative
Also see
argumentativecombativecontentiousdisputatiousdisputativelegalisticquarrelsome

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlītigiōsus
  2. Middle Englishlitigious
  3. Englishlitigious

From Middle English litigious, from Latin lītigiōsus. Compare Middle French litigieux.

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek φιλόδικος
  • φιλόδικος (philódikos)argumentative or combative
Esperanto procesa, procesema
  • procesaof or relating to litigation
  • procesemainclined to engage in lawsuits
  • disputemaargumentative or combative
French processif, litigieux
  • processifinclined to engage in lawsuits
  • litigieuxinclined to engage in lawsuits
German gerichtsstreitlich, prozessfreudig
  • gerichtsstreitlichof or relating to litigation
  • prozessfreudiginclined to engage in lawsuits
  • klagefreudiginclined to engage in lawsuits
  • klagewütiginclined to engage in lawsuits
  • streitsüchtigargumentative or combative
  • streitbarargumentative or combative
Greek επίδικος, δικομανής
  • επίδικος (epídikos)of or relating to litigation
  • δικομανής (dikomanís)inclined to engage in lawsuits
  • φιλόδικος (filódikos)argumentative or combative
Latin lītigiōsus, lītigiōsus
  • lītigiōsusinclined to engage in lawsuits
  • lītigiōsusargumentative or combative
Cite this entry
APA

litigious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigious

MLA

“litigious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigious. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “litigious,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/litigious.

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