a. Also 6 litygyous, lytygious, letigeus, 7 la-, letigious, litigeous. [ad. F. litigieux, ad. L. lītigiōsus, f. litigium litigation, related to lītigāre to LITIGATE: see -OUS.]
1. Of persons, their actions, dispositions and utterances. a. Fond of disputes, contentious. Now rare. b. Fond of litigation; eager to go to law.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Tim. iii. 3. It bihoueth a byschop for to be … not litigious, or ful of stryf.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), III. 285. Socrates hade ii. litigious and malicious wifes.
1541. R. Copland, Galyen’s Terap., 2 B iij b. The other are all togyther stupydes, sturdy, & lytygious.
1592. [see BARRATOUS].
1622. Beaum. & Fl., Sp. Curate, II. ii. ’Tis some honest Client, Rich and litigious, the Curate has brought to me.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. xxviii. (1840), 168. A door was opened for her litigious pretenders to the Crown.
1665. Glanvill, Scepsis Sci., xix. 118. This Philosophy is litigious, the very spawn of disputations and controversies.
1682. Burnet, Rights Princes, ii. 51. A litigious prosecution of their suits.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., VII. § 13. If the moment of opinions had been by some litigious divines made the measure of their zeal.
1793. Burke, Observ. Conduct Minority, Wks. VII. 234. Objections which I must ever think litigious and sophistical.
1803. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., II. 338. Lieut. Proctor is of a very litigious disposition.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., I. 373. They [Hindus] are very litigious…. They will persevere in a law-suit till they are ruined.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xiii. III. 299. Sir Patrick Hume … had returned from exile, as litigious … as he had been four years before.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xxv. 601. Pine’s grasping and litigious spirit had … given plenty of trouble in bygone days to Ralegh.
1875. Browning, Aristoph. Apol., Wks. (1896), I. 685/1. Play the litigious fool to stuff the mouth Of dikast with the due three-obol fee.
absol. 1711. Addison, Spect., No. 21, ¶ 3. This prodigious Society of Men may be divided into the Litigious and Peaceable.
† c. Engaged in litigation or contention; litigant. Obs.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., VI. xxxii. 143. He of Lancaster, and she of Yorke the heire: Of which letigious Famelies here mapped be the Lines.
absol. 1665. J. Webb, Stone-Heng (1725), 155. Gateways … by which the litigious and others had Access.
† 2. Open to dispute or question; disputable, questionable; productive of litigation or contention. Obs.
1520. Whitinton, Vulg. (1527), 10. And in especyal that ye haue ended the litygyous mater.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 41. To determine … dubious, and litigious questions insurging upon Moses’ law.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., IV. xi. § 12. The feast of Easter being … litigious in the dayes of Constantine.
1598. Sir T. Norreys, in Lismore Papers, Ser. II. (1887), I. 17. I feare the matter will prove very letigeus.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 336. The time of his birth seemeth to him to be litigious.
1648. Bp. Hall, Select Th., Ded. An age … that hath almost lost piety, in the chase of some litigious truths.
b. Disputable at law; that is or is liable to become the subject of a lawsuit, esp. of a benefice (see quot. 1768). In Civil and Scots Law said esp. of property respecting which an action is pending, and which therefore may not be alienated.
1568. Mem. Q. Eliz. to Commissioners, in H. Campbell, Love Lett. Mary Q. Scots, App. 15. The rest, that is litigious and doubtful, to be equally divided.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Triumph of Love, ii. Thou hast put so sure a plea, That all my weal’s litigious made by thee.
1624. Sir H. Bourgchier, in Ussher’s Lett. (1686), 314. Dr. Dee’s [library] … hath been long litigious, and by that means unsold.
a. 1648. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII. (1683), 417. The Earl of Desmond dying, leaves his Estate litigious betwixt his Brother and Grand-child.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 194. Nor Marks nor Bounds Distinguish’d Acres of litigious Grounds.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 246. If two presentations be offered to the bishop upon the same avoidance, the church is then said to become litigious.
1868. Act 31 & 32. Vict., c. 101 § 159. No summons of reduction … shall have any effect in rendering litigious the lands … except [etc.].
1880. Muirhead, Gaius, Digest 493. If the thing was not known to be litigious when purchased.
3. Of or pertaining to lawsuits or litigation.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. ii. (Arb.), 153. Certaine Doctours of the ciuil law were heard in a litigious cause betwixt a man and his wife.
1612. Dekker, It be not good, Wks. 1873, III. 268. The barres of our latigious Courts had wont To crack with thronging pleaders.
1644. Milton, Educ., Wks. (1847), 99/1. Pleasing thoughts of litigious terms, fat contentions, and flowing fees.
1705. T. Brown, To Author of Address, in Coll. Poems, 95. Scaffolds are rais’d in Litigious Hall, The Maces glitter, and the Serjeants Bawl.
1710. Steele & Addison, Tatler, No. 253, ¶ 13. Your Knowledge in the litigious Parts of the Law.
1780. Burke, Sp. Œconomic Reform, Wks. III. 261. The fury of litigious war blew her horn on the mountains.
1825. Bentham, Ration. Reward, 71. A defendant, unjustly dragged into the litigious contention.
