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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
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Supporters of the bill who attended the hearing included the Florida Medical Association, which represents physicians, the Merlin Law Group, a plaintiffs firm, and the Florida Justice Association, a trade and lobbying group for plaintiffs attorneys.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2025
The plaintiff in that case, Stella Liebeck, was originally awarded nearly $3 million.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025
Williams and the other plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case later the same year.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plaintiff
Cite this Entry
“Plaintiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintiff. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plaintiff
noun
Legal Definition
plaintiff
noun
Middle French plaintif, from plaintif, adj., grieving, from plaint lamentation, from Latin planctus, from plangere to strike, beat one's breast, lament
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