# plaintiff

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpleɪntɪf/ · frequency rank #13,982

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

## 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.

## Common misspellings (12)
`lpaintiff`, `palintiff`, `plainitff`, `plainntiff`, `plaintfif`, `plaintif`, `plainttiff`, `plaitniff`, `planitiff`, `pliantiff`, `pllaintiff`, `pplaintiff`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/plaintiff