Libelants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Those who file a formal written accusation in certain courts, such as admiralty or church courts, seeking redress for a wrong
2. Complainants who bring a libel action in admiralty or ecclesiastical proceedings to pursue a claim against another party
3. Plaintiffs in older maritime or church courts who submit a written charge against a defendant seeking legal remedy

Etymology: "Libelants" is the plural of "libelant," a noun for a person who files a libel, meaning a formal written complaint in admiralty or ecclesiastical proceedings. The singular "libelant" is the form that carries the word's history, and it stems from the same root as "libel," a term that once meant a small written document before it came to mean a damaging published statement. Because the plural simply adds the usual "-s" to that base, the story of the word lies in the singular.

Synonyms: plaintiff, complainant, litigant, petitioner