Meaning & use
litigation
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Meanings
noununcountablelegal
The process of settling a disagreement by taking it to a court of law.
Grammar: Not used with an or a plural: the company is in litigation.
Patterns
- be in litigation with someone
- litigation over something
The two firms have been in litigation for three years.
Litigation over the contract could cost millions.
Many disputes are settled without litigation.
nouncountablelegalformal
A lawsuit or the legal action itself.
Grammar: Less common as a countable noun, mainly in legal writing.
Patterns
- pending litigation
Pending litigation delayed the sale of the building.
The firm handled several complex litigations at once.
The litigation was dismissed by the judge.
Common combinations
- pending litigation
- The merger is on hold because of pending litigation.
- avoid litigation
- Mediation helped both parties avoid litigation.
- costly litigation
- Costly litigation drained the small business.
- patent litigation
- Patent litigation between tech companies is common.
- threaten litigation
- The tenants threatened litigation over the repairs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lawsuit
- A lawsuit is one specific case, whereas litigation is the whole process or activity of suing.
- legal action
- Legal action is everyday wording and may cover steps before court, while litigation points to a court case.
- prosecution
- Prosecution means bringing criminal charges, while litigation mostly refers to civil disputes.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: litigation or legislation?
litigation vs legislation
Legislation means laws made by a government, while litigation means disputes taken to court.
Practice
The two companies hoped to resolve their dispute without ___.
Choose one answer.
Litigation is going to court. Legislation, literature and limitation are look-alike words that do not describe a legal dispute process.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “litigation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.