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Plaintiffs: meaning, definitions and examples

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plaintiffs

 

[ ˈpleɪntɪfs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

legal term

Plaintiffs are individuals or entities who bring a case against another party in a court of law. They are the ones initiating legal action seeking a remedy for a perceived wrong or harm done to them.

Synonyms

accuser, claimant, petitioner.

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Word Description / Examples
plaintiffs

Used in legal contexts to describe individuals or parties who bring a case against another in civil court.

  • The plaintiffs were seeking damages for the breach of contract
  • In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that their rights had been violated
claimant

Frequently used in legal and administrative contexts to describe someone making a claim for something, such as insurance, benefits, or property.

  • The claimant argued that he was entitled to receive the insurance payout
  • Many claimants were waiting to hear back about their unemployment benefits
petitioner

Primarily used in legal contexts to refer to someone who presents a petition to a court or other official body, often in matters like divorce or appeals.

  • The petitioner filed for divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences
  • Several petitioners sought a review of their denied asylum applications
accuser

Generally used to describe someone who claims that another person has committed a crime or wrongdoing, often in a non-legal context.

  • The accuser testified in court regarding the events that transpired
  • She became known as the main accuser in the scandal

Examples of usage

  • The plaintiffs in this case allege that the defendant breached the contract.
  • The plaintiffs are seeking damages for emotional distress.

Translations

Translations of the word "plaintiffs" in other languages:

🇵🇹 demandantes

🇮🇳 वादी

🇩🇪 Kläger

🇮🇩 penggugat

🇺🇦 позивачі

🇵🇱 powodowie

🇯🇵 原告

🇫🇷 plaignants

🇪🇸 demandantes

🇹🇷 davacılar

🇰🇷 원고

🇸🇦 المدعين

🇨🇿 žalobci

🇸🇰 žalobcovia

🇨🇳 原告

🇸🇮 tožniki

🇮🇸 stefnendur

🇰🇿 талапкерлер

🇬🇪 მოსარჩელეები

🇦🇿 iddiaçılar

🇲🇽 demandantes

Etymology

The term 'plaintiff' originated from Middle English 'pleintif', from Anglo-French 'pleintif', from 'pleindre' meaning 'to complain'. The concept of plaintiffs dates back to ancient legal systems where individuals sought justice for grievances through legal proceedings.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #2,834, this word belongs to solid intermediate vocabulary. It's frequently used in both casual and formal contexts and is worth learning for better fluency.