(formerly) a person who brings a civil action in a court of law
Comparedefendant 1
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
plain•tiff /ˈpleɪntɪf/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Lawone who brings or starts a legal action or suit in a court:The plaintiff accused her husband of beating her.
plain•tiff
(plān′tif ),USA pronunciation n. [Law.]
plain′tiff•ship′, n.
- Lawa person who brings suit in a court (opposed to defendant).
- Middle English plaintif complaining person, noun, nominal use of the adjective, adjectival: plaintive 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'plaintiff' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Clifford trust
- Doe
- ad damnum
- adversary
- answer
- award
- bar
- bill of particulars
- blue-ribbon jury
- champerty
- claimant
- cognovit
- complainant
- complaint
- counterclaim
- counterplea
- cross-action
- decide
- declaration
- default
- defendant
- demandant
- discontinuance
- exemplary damages
- find
- libel
- nolle prosequi
- nominal damages
- non prosequitur
- non-pros
- nonsuit
- orator
- paper
- party
- petitioner
- pleading
- plf
- punitive damages
- pursuer
- rebutter
- reconvention
- recoup
- rejoin
- rejoinder
- relator
- replication
- reply
- smart money
- solatium
- suitor