rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: agere
Latin

agere

drive, set in motion; do

Forms

  • ag-
  • act- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘done.’
  • -ig- — Used in some Latin compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ag-, ‘drive; lead.’

Note

A root for driving things forward also came to describe performing an action.

18 / 26
noun

litigator

LIT-ih-gay-ter/ˈlɪtɪɡeɪtər/

A lawyer who handles lawsuits.

The litigator presents evidence of the damaged fence to the judge and jury.

Focus on an older Black woman trial lawyer in a professional suit standing confidently beside a courtroom evidence easel, presenting an unlabeled photograph of a damaged fence to judge and jury; her client sits behind.
Etymology
litLatindispute or lawsuit
+igLatindrive, set in motion; do
+atorLatina person or thing that performs an action

The pieces describe someone who “drives a suit” forward. English uses included someone who files or argues lawsuits; the selected sense identifies the lawyer handling them.

In context

CTV Santa Cruz County211:00
as an attorney as a litigator i would welcome it
Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors 1/11/22

More examples

  • We hire a litigator to handle the lawsuit.
  • Experienced litigators often negotiate settlements before trial.
  • As a litigator, she represents tenants in housing disputes.

Forms

litigator · litigators

litigate verb — To pursue a dispute through court.

litigation noun — The process of pursuing or defending lawsuits.

Similar words

lawyer
A broader term covering legal work beyond handling lawsuits.
attorney
Emphasizes legal representation, not necessarily involvement in lawsuits.