Litigating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of formally contesting a case within the legal system includes presenting arguments and evidence to achieve a resolution
2. Engaging in a legal battle in court requires both sides to formulate and deliver their respective cases to a judge or jury
3. The action of pursuing a legal claim in court involves the submission of evidence and arguments by both parties to seek a judicial decision

Etymology: The root of "litigating" is the Latin noun "lis," meaning a lawsuit or quarrel, whose stem shifts to "lit-" in its derived forms. Latin speakers built the verb "litigo" from that stem, and its past participle "litigatus" passed into English in 1606 as "litigate," meaning to carry on a lawsuit. The English word is therefore a formal borrowing of a legal Latin verb rather than something that grew out of ordinary speech. The verb's final syllables come from two Latin pieces. The "-igo" ending is a verb-forming element that turns a noun into an action, so "litigo" literally means something like "to make a quarrel," and the "-ate" added in English follows the common pattern for borrowed Latin verbs. Seen this way, "litigating" is simply the English ing-form of that old legal action, still describing a dispute carried into court.

Synonyms: suing, prosecuting, contesting

Antonyms: settling, resolving