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English Words Starting With L

5,456 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Suffix Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

litigant
adjectivenounC1/C2
/ˈlɪt.ɪ.ɡənt/A person or party involved in a lawsuit or legal proceedings.
litigate
verbverb-intransitiveverb-transitiveC1
/ˈlɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/To take a claim or dispute to a court of law for a formal decision.
litigation
nounC1
/ˌlɪt.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/The process of taking legal action in court; the process of suing someone or defending against a lawsuit.
litigation friend
nounVery Low
/ˌlɪt.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən frend/A person appointed to conduct legal proceedings on behalf of someone who cannot do so themselves, such as a child or a protected party.
litigator
nounC2
/ˈlɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə(r)/A lawyer who specialises in conducting legal proceedings, especially lawsuits, on behalf of clients in court.
litmus
nounC1/C2
/ˈlɪt.məs/A water-soluble dye, usually obtained from lichens, that turns red in acidic solutions and blue in alkaline solutions.
litmus paper
nounC1
/ˈlɪtməs ˌpeɪpə/A strip of paper treated with litmus dye, used in chemistry as a simple test for acidity or alkalinity.
litmus test
nounC1
/ˈlɪt.məs ˌtest/A simple, decisive test that produces a clear yes/no or pass/fail result based on a single, crucial factor.
litotes
nounC1
/laɪˈtəʊ.tiːz/A figure of speech and form of verbal irony in which understatement is used to emphasize a point by stating a negative to affirm a positive.
litre
nounMedium frequency (common in specific contexts: measurement, science, cooking, motoring).
/ˈliːtə(r)/A metric unit of capacity, equal to 1000 cubic centimetres or 1.76 pints.
litter
nounverbverb-intransitive+1B1
/ˈlɪt.ə/Small pieces of rubbish/waste, such as paper, cans, and food wrappers, left lying in a public place; also, a group of young animals born to an animal at one time.
litter lout
nounLow-to-medium
/ˌlɪtə ˈlaʊt/A person who carelessly drops or throws litter in public places.
litterae humaniores
plural-nounVery Rare
/ˌlɪtəriː hjuːˌmæniˈɔːriːz/The classical humanities, particularly Latin and Greek literature, philosophy, and history, especially as studied at Oxford University.
litterateur
nounC2
/ˌlɪtərəˈtəː/A person who is engaged in literary work; a professional writer, especially one who writes in a sophisticated or scholarly manner.
litterbag
nounLow
/ˈlɪtəbæɡ/A small bag, typically made of paper or plastic, used for collecting and disposing of litter, especially in vehicles.
litterbug
nounB2
/ˈlɪtəbʌɡ/A person who carelessly drops litter (rubbish) in public places.
littermate
nounLow
/ˈlɪt.ə.meɪt/One of two or more animals born to the same mother in the same birthing.
little
adjectiveadverbdeterminer+1A1 (Extremely High Frequency)
/ˈlɪt(ə)l/Small in size, amount, or degree.
little alfold
nounVery Low
/ˌlɪt.l̩ ˈæl.fəʊld/A small, low-lying area of land, often referring to a minor geographical depression or a small, enclosed field.
little alliance
nounLow
/ˈlɪt.ᵊl əˈlaɪ.əns/A small or limited cooperative arrangement between individuals or groups, often formed for a specific, minor purpose.

Showing 3601–3620 of 5456 words.