plaintiff

noun

plain·tiff ˈplān-təf

Synonyms of plaintiff

: a person who brings a legal action compare defendant

Did you know?

We won't complain about the origins of plaintiff, although complain and plaintiff are distantly related; both can be traced back to plangere, a Latin word meaning "to strike, beat one's breast, or lament." Plaintiff comes most immediately from Middle English plaintif, itself an Anglo-French borrowing tracing back to plaint, meaning "lamentation." (The English word plaintive is also related.) Logically enough, plaintiff applies to the one who does the complaining in a legal case.

Examples of plaintiff in a Sentence

the judge ruled that the plaintiff's lawsuit was groundless, and he dismissed it

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Nine days earlier, a Virginia judge had ordered the plaintiffs’ claims against Stake into private arbitration and paused the remainder of the case, including the claims naming Drake. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026 In the lawsuit, Rivas requested the plaintiffs representing Adams' estate receive damages that make up for burial costs, attorney costs and all other relief entitled under Kentucky's wrongful death law. — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Aug. 2026 The plaintiff, a 37-year-old New Jersey woman, says she was hit in the head and knocked out of her seat to the ground. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 Filed on behalf of the Preservation of Community Well-being Collective, the lawsuit’s plaintiffs are residents and property owners in Saddlebrook Farms, Grayslake, Mundelein and Round Lake Park. — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plaintiff

Word History

Etymology

Middle English plaintif, from Anglo-French, from pleintif, adjective

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of plaintiff was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

plaintful

plaintiff

plain tire

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Style

“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintiff. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

plaintiff

noun

plain·tiff ˈplānt-əf

: the complaining party in a lawsuit

Legal Definition

plaintiff

noun

plain·tiff ˈplān-təf

: the party who institutes a legal action or claim (as a counterclaim) see also complainant, complaint, libellant compare defendant, prosecution

Etymology

Middle French plaintif, from plaintif, adj., grieving, from plaint lamentation, from Latin planctus, from plangere to strike, beat one's breast, lament

plaintiff

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms of plaintiff

Examples of plaintiff in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

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