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Definition of plaintiff noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

plaintiff

noun
 
/ˈpleɪntɪf/
 
/ˈpleɪntɪf/
(also less frequent complainant)
(law)
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  1. a person who makes a formal complaint against somebody in court
    • The court upheld the plaintiff’s claim for damages.
    • The plaintiff must prove that the defendant was negligent.
    compare defendant
    Extra Examples
    • The plaintiff claimed that the correct procedures had not been followed.
    • The plaintiffs obtained an injunction in the High Court.
    • the lawyer appearing on behalf of the plaintiff
    Topics Law and justicec2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + plaintiff
    • represent
    • compensate
    plaintiff + verb
    • bring an action (against somebody)
    • sue somebody
    • allege something
    • …
    preposition
    • against the plaintiff
    • on behalf of the plaintiff
    See full entry
    Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French plaintif ‘plaintive’ (used as a noun). The -f ending has come down through Law French; the word was originally the same as plaintive.
See plaintiff in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee plaintiff in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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apron
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