litigate
verb
lit·i·gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt 
litigated; litigating
intransitive verb
: to carry on a legal contest by judicial (see judicial sense 1a) process
only states can litigate before this court
R. H. Heindel
R. H. Heindeltransitive verb
1
: to decide and settle in a court of law
litigate a claim
2
archaic : dispute
litigable
ˈli-ti-gə-bəl
adjective 
Example Sentences
They agree to litigate all disputes in this court. The company's unwillingness to make a deal increased her desire to litigate.
Recent Examples on the Web And affordable housing regulations have little impact, if a town is willing to endlessly litigate, or to incur whatever penalties or fines might come their way. Kara Miller, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Aug. 2022 All three contests have featured intraparty debates over whether the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump and whether the GOP should continue to litigate those results. John Mccormick, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 Nugent set a hearing for Aug. 12 to litigate the issue, ordering Mosby to appear in court to try to persuade the judge not to hold her in contempt of court. Alex Mann, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 The concerned will band together, citizens will vote, rural communities and welfare groups will litigate, and states will choose their own way. Matthew Scully, National Review, 11 July 2022 Best-selling books, documentaries, and podcasts have been produced, many of which continue to litigate whether DeSalvo, called America’s Jack the Ripper, really did strangle some or all of the 11 women killed in 1962 and 1963. BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2022 DePerno's running on a platform that heavily features his Antrim County lawsuit, broadly vowing to continue to litigate the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2022 Those who are still holding the debts are either distressed debt investors or those willing to wait to litigate it out over the next few years. Ken Sweet And Fatima Hussein, Anchorage Daily News, 24 May 2022 The email exchanges are part of a massive cache of internal documents the Biden administration turned over to lawyers for migrants this year after settlement talks broke down in December, forcing both sides to litigate in open court. Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post, 8 June 2022 See More
Kara Miller, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Aug. 2022 All three contests have featured intraparty debates over whether the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump and whether the GOP should continue to litigate those results. John Mccormick, WSJ, 9 Aug. 2022 Nugent set a hearing for Aug. 12 to litigate the issue, ordering Mosby to appear in court to try to persuade the judge not to hold her in contempt of court. Alex Mann, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 The concerned will band together, citizens will vote, rural communities and welfare groups will litigate, and states will choose their own way. Matthew Scully, National Review, 11 July 2022 Best-selling books, documentaries, and podcasts have been produced, many of which continue to litigate whether DeSalvo, called America’s Jack the Ripper, really did strangle some or all of the 11 women killed in 1962 and 1963. BostonGlobe.com, 14 May 2022 DePerno's running on a platform that heavily features his Antrim County lawsuit, broadly vowing to continue to litigate the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2022 Those who are still holding the debts are either distressed debt investors or those willing to wait to litigate it out over the next few years. Ken Sweet And Fatima Hussein, Anchorage Daily News, 24 May 2022 The email exchanges are part of a massive cache of internal documents the Biden administration turned over to lawyers for migrants this year after settlement talks broke down in December, forcing both sides to litigate in open court. Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post, 8 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin litigatus, past participle of litigare, from lit-, lis lawsuit + agere to drive — more at agent
First Known Use
1615, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Legal Definition
litigate
verb
lit·i·gate ˈli-tə-ˌgāt
litigated; litigating
intransitive verb
: to seek resolution of a legal contest by judicial process
chose to litigate rather than settle
transitive verb
: to make the subject of a suit
litigate a claim
broadly : to contest or resolve in court
litigate an insanity defense