plaintiff
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English plaintif, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French plaintif (“complaining”; as a noun, “one who complains, a plaintiff”) from the verb plaindre. Doublet of plaintive.
Pronunciation
edit- IPA(key): /ˈpleɪntɪf/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -eɪntɪf
Noun
editplaintiff (plural plaintiffs)
- (law, UK historical, otherwise current) A party bringing a suit in civil law against a defendant; accuser.
- Synonyms: actor, (English and Singapore law) claimant, complainant, litigant, (Scots law) pursuer
- Antonym: defendant
- Hypernyms: litigant, litigator
- Hyponyms: petitioner, suer
Usage notes
editPlaintiff is used in civil law, and should not be confused with complainant, the alleged victim in a criminal prosecution (who is not a party to the legal proceeding).
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editparty bringing a suit in civil law against a defendant
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Further reading
edit- “plaintiff”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “plaintiff”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English doublets
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- Rhymes:English/eɪntɪf
- Rhymes:English/eɪntɪf/2 syllables
- English lemmas
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