1. a party who makes a motion in a legal proceeding; the party applying to a court for an order or relief
Usage: legal/formal; primarily used in civil procedure and appellate contexts

Examples

• The movant filed a motion for summary judgment.
• The court denied the movant's request for a preliminary injunction.
• As the movant, the plaintiff bore the burden of demonstrating grounds for relief.
• The movant's arguments were thoroughly addressed in the appellate brief.
• The judge questioned the movant about the factual basis of the motion.