Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

plaintiff

/ˈpleɪntɪf/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.55 in modern English

Syllables
plain-tiff
IPA
/ˈpleɪntɪf/
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A party bringing a suit in civil law against a defendant; accuser.

British usage

Etymology

From Middle English plaintif, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French plaintif (“complaining”; as a noun, “one who complains, a plaintiff”) from the verb plaindre. Doublet of plaintive.

Origin

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

plaintiffs (plural)

Derived Forms

antiplaintiff coplaintiff multiplaintiff nonplaintiff plaintiffship proplaintiff

Phrases

plaintiff in error plaintiff's attorney

Frequently Paired Words

plaintive

Synonyms

actor claimant complainant litigant pursuer

Antonyms

defendant

Questions

How do you pronounce plaintiff?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpleɪntɪf/.
What does plaintiff mean?
A party bringing a suit in civil law against a defendant; accuser.
Where does plaintiff come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce plaintiff

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “plaintiff”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpleɪntɪf/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “plaintiff”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “plaintiff” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.