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lit·i·gate

(lĭtĭ-gāt′)

v. lit·i·gat·ed, lit·i·gat·ing, lit·i·gates

v.tr.

To prosecute or defend (a lawsuit or legal action); pursue (a legal case).

v.intr.

To bring a lawsuit or defend against a lawsuit in court.

[Latin lītigāre, lītigāt- : līs, līt-, lawsuit + agere, to drive; see ag- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

liti·ga·ble (-gə-bəl) adj.

lit′i·gation n.

liti·ga′tor n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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