Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LITIGIOUS

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explore the archives: If you're litigious, you love to sue people: to take them to court, even for minor little things. Odds are, if you're litigious, you're also can____erous, or grumpy and eager to start a petty argument. make your point with... "LITIGIOUS" To litigate something is to take it to court, and litigation is the act of going to court. (Those are overly simple explanations, but let's move on to our main word.) So, litigious people are always taking other people to court, and litigious things are related to lawsuits--lots of lawsuits, especially petty ones. Pronunciation: "Lih TIDGE us." It rhymes with "religious." (Be sure to say it with 3 syllables, "lih TIDGE us," like "religious," "atrocious," and "obnoxious." Don't pronounce that last "i" as an extra syllable like you do for "previous," "curious," and "amphibious." That is, don't say "lih TIDGE ee us.") Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a litigious thing" or "a litigious person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was litigious" or "He is litigious.") Other forms: litigiously, litigiousness How to use it: Talk about litigious people, minds, spirits, attitudes, dispositions, and personalities; litigious families, companies, industries, markets, cultures, atmospheres, environments, societies, and worlds; and litigious disputes and battles. People, groups, and places can have litigious pasts, litigious histories, and litigious tendencies.  Even periods of time can be called litigious: "He's more easily offended than ever, so it's been a litigious year for him." examples: You know the lady who spilled hot McDonald's coffee on herself and then sued them for millions of dollars? I used to think she was just a litigious freeloader, but then I learned the whole story. Some litigious musician claimed ownership of the phrase "haters gonna hate" and accused Taylor Swift of stealing it. How silly! study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "litigious" means when you can explain it without saying "always dragging people into court for frivolous reasons" or "lawsuit-crazy." try it out: Fill in the blank: "In these litigious times, you can't even (do something reasonable that might make people angry enough to sue you)." Example: "In these litigious times, you can't even make your haunted house 'too scary.'"  before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "What's the Difference?" I’ll give you two terms. Without using Google or a dictionary, explain how they’re different. Go beyond saying, "well, I know the difference, but I can’t explain it," or "show me an example and I'll tell you which it is." In your explanations, try to focus on features, not comparisons. For example, what's the difference between climate and weather? A good explanation focuses on features: "climate is what’s going on in the atmosphere over long periods of time, and weather is what’s going on in the atmosphere at a particular place and time." A weaker explanation focuses on comparisons: "climate is more concerning than weather." The game will get harder as the month goes on: we’ll start with objects—natural first, then man-made—then switch to concepts. Let’s do this! From yesterday: What's the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk? Answer: Chipmunks are a type of squirrel that have stripes on their heads; all the other squirrels don’t. (They have other differences as well, but this one seems most distinguishing.) Try this today: What's the difference between jam and jelly? review today's word: 1. The closest opposite of LITIGIOUS is A. SIMPLE B. CONGENIAL C. ARGUMENTATIVE 2. In his public and private life, he's _____ litigious. A. acquiescently B. deferentially C. notoriously Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C