commence litigation

USAGE SUMMARY

"commence litigation" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to the initiation of a lawsuit. For example: The company decided to commence litigation against its competitor for unfair practices.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

In the city's preliminary offering for the bonds, it writes, "On or about August 15, 2003, the city intends to commence litigation" to direct the corporation to pay the money.

The New York Times

In China, for example, there was a long history of unofficial legal advisers often young men preparing to take imperial examinations for official appointment who assisted merchants and other laymen in the preparation of legal documents, including those needed to commence litigation.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Using data from actual malpractice lawsuits in different contexts and clinical areas, both studies demonstrate that over and above the importance of good communication, the inability to involve patients in decision-making and to consider their concerns and preferences can incite patients to commence litigation.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

"Those Guantánamo prisoners who commenced litigation now more than a year ago have to date had no acknowledgement of state responsibility, wherever and however they were unlawfully kidnapped and detained, and whatever the level of involvement of the UK intelligence agencies".

The Guardian

In his letter to Judge Paul G. Gardephe, who is presiding in the N.B.A.'s lawsuit, Mishkin reiterates the league's accusation — that "on more than two dozen occasions," the union "has threatened to abandon collective bargaining and commence antitrust litigation to challenge the lockout".

The New York Times - Sports

The group also said in an unsigned statement: "WikiLeaks has commenced pre-litigation action against The Guardian and an individual in Germany who was distributing the Guardian passwords for personal gain".

The New York Times

Let the litigation commence.

The New York Times

Judge Gardephe, in his ruling last September, said the two sides had agreed that after the litigation commenced, 849 e-mails and 79 other company documents were found on the laptop computer of Mr. Drapkin's assistant.

The New York Times

The quarter's loss included a $4.9 million expense for previously announced costs incurred in removing professional golfing from its subscription services and a $2.3 million expense for the antitrust litigation, commenced in December but with no trial date yet set.

Forbes

Indeed, such evidence is often lacking when litigation commences, and case-specific fact-finding can be more efficient precisely because it is more targeted.

Environmental Health Perspectives

In an extraordinary twist, but actually the complete opposite of that, litigation was commenced in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, which is known to favor plaintiffs and for its general expertise in patent-related lawsuits.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer synonyms like "start litigation" or "initiate litigation" for less formal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "commence litigation" in casual conversation or informal writing. The phrase can sound stilted or pretentious outside of legal contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "commence litigation" functions as a verb phrase indicating the start of a legal process. Ludwig AI confirms this usage, showing examples from reliable sources where it clearly refers to initiating legal action.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "commence litigation" is a formal phrase used to describe the initiation of legal proceedings. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and provides examples from authoritative sources, including news outlets, encyclopedias, and scientific publications. While grammatically sound, it's best reserved for formal writing and should be avoided in casual conversation. More common synonyms include "start litigation" or "initiate litigation". The analysis indicates that the phrase is relatively rare but used across different contexts like News & Media, Encyclopedias and Science. Ludwig confirms it's a correct and usable phrase for initiating lawsuits.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

start litigation

This alternative is more informal and common than the original phrase.

initiate litigation

This alternative maintains a similar level of formality but uses a different verb.

begin litigation

This option is slightly less formal, employing a more straightforward verb.

institute legal proceedings

This phrase is highly formal and emphasizes the procedural aspect.

file a lawsuit

This is a more specific and common way to describe initiating litigation, focusing on the filing of the suit.

undertake legal action

This phrase broadens the scope to include any form of legal action, not just litigation.

bring a case before the court

This alternative emphasizes the act of presenting a case in court.

pursue legal remedies

This alternative focuses on the goal of seeking legal redress, which may involve litigation.

open a legal battle

This option uses metaphorical language to describe the start of litigation.

engage in legal combat

This phrase utilizes a more aggressive, combative tone to describe litigation.

FAQs

What does "commence litigation" mean?

The phrase "commence litigation" means to initiate or begin a legal process, typically by filing a lawsuit or other legal action in a court of law.

When is it appropriate to use "commence litigation"?

Use "commence litigation" in formal contexts, such as legal documents, news reports, or academic papers, where a precise and professional tone is required.

What are some alternatives to "commence litigation"?

You can use alternatives like "start litigation", "initiate litigation", or "begin litigation" depending on the context.

Is "commence litigation" the same as "file a lawsuit"?

While related, "commence litigation" is broader. "File a lawsuit" specifically refers to the act of submitting a claim to court, while "commence litigation" encompasses the entire process of starting a legal action. You can replace "commence litigation" with "file a lawsuit" if you want to be more specific.