Claimant – in most countries this legal term refers to the legal figure of a private individual or a corporate body, being the party lodging a claim in local court and seeking protection of their legal rights and interests. The claimant initiates civil litigation, where usually pursues monetary compensation or strict performance. Somewhere called also “plaintiff”. The opposite of claimant is the figure of the defendant, who defends their position against the claimant and their lodged claim.