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Litigation/Litigate

By Jean Murray, About.com

Definition:

Litigation (n.) is the process of taking a case through court. The litigation or legal process is most common in civil lawsuits. In litigation, there is a plaintiff (one who brings the charge) and a defendant (one against whom the charge is brought).

To litigate is to file a charge against someone and bring a case to court.

The alternative to litigation in business cases is arbitration.

Pronunciation: lit-i-GA-shun LIT-i-gate
Also Known As: legal process
Examples:
The company chose to go through the litigation process, charging its competitor with stealing its trademark.
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