litigate

/ˌlɪdəˈgeɪt/

Other forms: litigated; litigating; litigates

To litigate is to engage in some sort of legal proceedings. Litigating mostly takes place in court.

If you're litigating, you'd better have a lawyer: you're involved in some sort of legal situation. When you sue someone, that's litigating. The person sued is also forced to litigate. People accused of a crime have to litigate when they're on trial. There are many types of litigation. Lawyers usually specialize in one type of litigating, such as criminal law or corporate law. If you're ever on a jury, you'll get a closer look at how litigating works.

Definitions of litigate

1. verb

   engage in legal proceedings
   synonyms:

   action, process, sue

   institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against

   type of:

   challenge

   issue a challenge to
2. verb

   institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against
   synonyms: action, process, sue

   types:

   expedite

   process fast and efficiently

   type of:

   challenge

   issue a challenge to