plaintiff

noun

plain·​tiff ˈplān-təf 

: 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.

Synonyms

• complainant
• suer

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

Last week also saw the case that Combs and Jay-Z repeatedly raped a 13-year-old in 2000 dismissed by the Jane Doe plaintiff. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025

Our clients have taken this matter and these issues very seriously notwithstanding the jokes made publicly by the plaintiff and her husband. —Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025

The plaintiffs are represented in part by GLAD Law and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). —Samantha Riedel, Them, 19 Feb. 2025

Initially named as a plaintiff in a PFLAG lawsuit challenging the order, Chapman stepped back after deciding the exposure would be too stressful for the family. —Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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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