litigation
/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌli-tə-ˈgā-shən/ (ame, mw)
litigation — noun
1. the process of using the court system to settle a disagreement, with a judge mak
the process of using the court system to settle a disagreement, with a judge making the final decision
The two software companies spent three years in litigation over the patent.
collocation: spend years in litigation
Facing costly litigation, the landlord agreed to fix the broken heater.
collocation: facing costly litigation
The Santos family decided to avoid litigation by settling the inheritance matter privately.
After months of litigation, the court ruled in favor of workers who lost their jobs.
Litigation over the new building project has delayed construction by almost a year.
- lawsuit
refers to a single countable claim brought to court; more specific than 'litigation'
- legal action
a general term for any step taken through the legal system; less formal in tone
- court case
focuses on the specific matter the court handles, not the full process
- settlement
an agreement reached outside of court to end a dispute privately
文法句型
litigation + over [topic]
litigation + between [parties]
用法筆記
Litigation is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be used with 'a' (❌ a litigation). For a single countable instance, use 'lawsuit' or 'legal case'.