Meaning & use
litigious
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Too ready to take disagreements to court or threaten legal action.
Grammar: Can take more/most; commonly modified by highly or increasingly.
Patterns
- a litigious society
- highly litigious
- become litigious
The article criticizes an increasingly litigious culture.
A highly litigious neighbor complained about every fence board.
Some companies settle small claims because fighting them is expensive.
Word forms
| comparative | more litigious |
|---|---|
| superlative | most litigious |
Common combinations
- litigious society
- Critics say the country has become a litigious society.
- highly litigious
- The industry is known for being highly litigious.
- litigious environment
- A litigious environment makes employers cautious about every email.
- become increasingly litigious
- Over the decade, the dispute became increasingly litigious.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contentious
- Contentious means likely to cause arguments; litigious specifically means inclined to sue.
- quarrelsome
- Quarrelsome describes people who argue often, not necessarily through lawyers.
- argumentative
- Argumentative means fond of debating; litigious is stronger and legal in focus.
Opposites
Word family
- litigate verb
- To take a claim or dispute to court.
- litigation noun
- The process of taking legal action; usually uncountable.
- litigator noun
- A lawyer who handles cases in court.
Commonly confused: litigious or legal?
litigious vs legal
Legal simply means connected with law; litigious disapprovingly means too eager to use lawsuits.
Practice
Choose the best word.
Choose one answer.
Litigious means excessively ready to sue. Legal is neutral and too broad, legislative relates to making laws, and legitimate means lawful or valid rather than lawsuit-prone.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “litigious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.