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Law vocabulary · Lawsuits & Procedure

Plaintiff

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈpleɪntɪf/nounCore term

In law, plaintiff means: The person or company that starts a civil case in court against someone else and asks the court for a remedy.

In Turkish: davacı

How it is used

Standard in American courts and in older British texts. It appears in case names, pleadings and judgments, usually with 'the': 'the plaintiff alleges…'. The other side is the defendant.

Example sentences

  1. The plaintiff claims that the software never worked as promised.

  2. We act for the plaintiff in a dispute over unpaid royalties.

Common collocations

  • the plaintiff alleges
  • act for the plaintiff
  • judgment for the plaintiff
  • lead plaintiff
  • defendantThe person or company that a case is brought against: the side that must answer a civil claim or a criminal charge.
  • partyEach person or organisation directly involved in a contract or a court case, such as the buyer and the seller, or the claimant and the defendant.
  • lawsuitA claim that one person or company brings against another in a civil court, usually asking for money or for an order to stop something.
  • claimA formal demand for money, property or another remedy, especially one made in court; also a statement that something is true which has not yet been proved.
  • sueTo start a legal claim against a person or organisation in a civil court, usually to get money for harm or loss they caused.

More terms: Lawsuits & Procedure

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.