a person who makes a formal complaint against somebody in courtThe court upheld the plaintiff’s claim for damages.The plaintiff must prove that the defendant was negligent.comparedefendantOxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + plaintiffrepresent,compensateplaintiff + verbbring an action (against somebody),sue somebody,allege something,…prepositionagainst the plaintiff,on behalf of the plaintiffSeefull entryWord 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.Extra examplesThe 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
See plaintiff in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee plaintiff in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
