Meaning & use
plaintiff in law
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablelegalformal
A person who starts a lawsuit against another person in a court of law.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a plaintiff in law' or 'the plaintiff in law'. In legal writing, it is often used without 'the' when referring to the role.
Patterns
- the plaintiff in law
- act as plaintiff in law
- name someone as plaintiff in law
In the case of Smith v. Jones, the plaintiff in law was Smith, who claimed damages for breach of contract.
The judge explained that the plaintiff in law must prove the defendant's negligence.
She was named as the plaintiff in law in the lawsuit against the company.
Common combinations
- the plaintiff in law
- The plaintiff in law filed a motion for summary judgment.
- act as plaintiff in law
- He agreed to act as plaintiff in law on behalf of the injured workers.
- name as plaintiff in law
- The court named her as plaintiff in law in the class action.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plaintiff
- This is the everyday term; 'plaintiff in law' is more formal and emphasizes the legal role.
- claimant
- Used mainly in British English and in some legal contexts; 'plaintiff' is more common in American English.
Opposites
Word family
- plaintiff noun
- The person who brings a case against another in a court of law.
Commonly confused: plaintiff in law or defendant?
plaintiff in law vs defendant
The defendant is the person being sued or accused, while the plaintiff is the one who starts the lawsuit.
Practice
In a civil lawsuit, who is the plaintiff in law?
Choose one answer.
The plaintiff in law is the party who initiates a lawsuit by filing a complaint. The defendant is the one being sued, so option An is wrong. The lawyer and judge have different roles, so options B and D are incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plaintiff in law”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.