EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

litigation

the process of taking legal action or engaging in a lawsuit

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

Where does the word "litigation" come from? It comes from Latin litigare, and was adopted directly into English (1650s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "litigation" come from? It comes from Latin litigare, and was adopted directly into English (1650s).

Litigation’s story begins in Latin: litigare meant “to conduct a lawsuit.” To dispute in a lawsuit, from lis (a lawsuit) and agere (to conduct). It reached English by 1650s as litigation. Settled as the English word for the process of taking legal action. Today, litigation means the process of taking legal action or engaging in a lawsuit.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient litigare "to conduct a lawsuit", to dispute in a lawsuit, from lis (a lawsuit) and agere (to conduct).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1650s litigation "the process of taking legal action", settled as the English word for the process of taking legal action.

Browse by origin