[ad. late L. lītigātiōn-em, n. of action f. lītigāre to LITIGATE.]
1. The action or process of carrying on a suit in law or equity; legal proceedings; † in pl., kinds of litigation. In litigation: in process of investigation before a court of law.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IV. § 38. I have never yet spoken with one clergyman who hath had the experience of both litigations that hath not ingenuously confessed he had rather … have three suits depending in Westminster Hall than one in the Arches or any ecclesiastical court.
1661. J. Stephens, Procurations, 139. I never heard of any that stood out a suit against this payment … but was alwayes overthrown in the litigation.
1834. Lytton, Pompeii, 24. My relations threatened me with litigation concerning my inheritance.
1856. Ferrier, Inst. Metaph. (ed. 2), Introd. 6. A tribunal to which any point in litigation can be referred.
1880. McCarthy, Own Times, IV. liv. 176. Litigation means the waste of time and money.
b. The practice of going to law.
1785. Paley, Mor. Philos., VI. viii. (1786), 509. Nothing quells a spirit of litigation like despair of success.
1821. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 349/1. This method would destroy litigation as effectually as the method proposed by Mr. Scarlett.
1862. Trollope, Orley F., ix. (ed. 4), 62. The spirit of litigation within him told him that the point was to be carried.
2. Disputation. Now rare.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iii. 149. Quha dow abstene fra litigatioun, Or from his paper hald aback the pen, Except he hait our Scottis Natioun?
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, III. 29. Wiclef was much offended at this kind of sophistic litigation in maters of faith.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. x. The squire … was, after some litigation, obliged to consent.
1786. Burke, Articles agst. W. Hastings, Wks. 1842, II. 87. To receive an explanation … of the matter in litigation.
1887. W. James, in Mind, Jan., 1. Whether the ‘muscular sense’ directly yields us knowledge of space is still a matter of litigation among psychologists.
