
Plaintiff
Initiates Action
The plaintiff is the starter of the lawsuit, not the defender.

When John filed his complaint, he became the plaintiff.
Legal Context
Use 'plaintiff' when referring to civil legal cases, not criminal ones.

In the civil dispute, the plaintiff sought damages for breach of contract.
Not Always Right
Being the plaintiff doesn’t guarantee being correct or winning the case.

The plaintiff's argument was weak, and he lost the case.
Compare with
AccuseAppellantClaimantLitigantPetitionProsecutorSuitor
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