Lewis & Short

līs, lītis (old form stlis, stlitis, like stlocus for locus; cf. Quint. 1, 4, 16), f. [root star-, in sterno; cf. Germ. streiten, to contend], a strife, dispute, quarrel.

  1. I. In gen.: si quis pugnam expectat, litis contrahat, Plaut. Capt. prol. 63: philosophi aetatem in litibus conterunt, Cic. Leg. 1, 20, 53: grammatici certant et adhuc sub judice lis est, Hor. A. P. 78: morsus litibus alternis dati, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 39: semper habet lites alternaque jurgia lectus In quo nupta jacet, Juv. 6, 268.
    Transf., of inanimate things: lis est cum formā magna pudicitiae, Ov. H. 16, 288; id. F. 1, 107.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. A charge, an accusation: accipito hanc tute ad te litem … Fac ego ne metuam mihi, atque ut tu meam timeas vicem, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 23.
    2. B. A lawsuit, an action or process at law: nam mihi tris hodie litis judicandas dicito, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 10: hodie juris coctiores non sunt, qui litis creant, Quam sunt hice, qui, si nihil est litium, litis serunt, id. Poen. 3, 2, 9 sq.; Cic. de Or. 3, 28, 109: repetere ac persequi lite atque judicio aliquid, id. Verr. 2, 3, 13, § 32: litem alicui intendere, id. de Or. 1, 10, 42: in inferendis litibus, id. Rab. Post. 4, 10: contestari, id. Att. 16, 15, 2: obtinere aut amittere, id. Rosc. Com. 4, 10: orare, id. Off. 3. 10, 43: sedare, id. Verr. 2, 3, 57, § 132: secare, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 42: perdere, Gai. Inst. 4, 30: in litibus aestimandis, in suits for damages, Cic. Clu. 41, 116; id. Rab. Post. 4, 9: lis capitis, a prosecution involving life, a capital charge, id. Clu. 41, 116: aestimationem litium non esse judicium, an appraisal of damages, id. ib.; cf. id. Rab. Post. 5, 11: cum in eum litis aestimares, id. ib. 5, 12: quod vulgo dicitur, e lege Julia litem anno et sex mensibus mori, Gai. Inst. 4, 104.
      1. 2. In the phrase: litem suam facere, to make the cause his own, said,
          1. (α) Litem suam facere, of an advocate who neglects the cause of his client and seeks his own advantage: quid, si cum pro altero dicas, litem tuam facias? Cic. de Or. 2, 75, 305.
          2. (β) Also of a judge who, out of favor or through bribery, pronounces an unjust sentence, or who turns aside from the questions strictly before him to express his own opinions or feelings through the judgment: debet enim judex attendere, ut cum certae pecuniae condemnatio posita sit, neque majoris neque minoris summa petita nummo condemnet, alioquin litem suam facit; item si taxatio posita sit, ne pluris condemnet quam taxatum sit, alias enim similiter litem suam facit, Gai. Inst. 2, 52: si judex litem suam fecerit, Dig. 44, 7, 4, § 4; cf. ib. 5, 1, 15; so, trop.: nam et Varro satis aperte, quid dicere oporteret, edocuit; et ego adversus eum, qui doctus esse dicebatur, litem meam facere absens nolui, Gell. 10, 1.
          3. (γ) Also of a judge who does not appear on the day appointed: inde ad comitium vadunt, ne litem suam faciant, C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.
    3. C. The subject of an action at law, the matter in dispute: quibus res erat in controversia, ea vocabatur lis, Varr. L. L. 7, § 93 Müll.: illud mihi mirum videri solet, tot homines statuere non potuisse, utrum rem an litem dici oporteret, Cic. Mur. 12, 27: lites severe aestimatae, id. ib. 20, 42: quo minus secundum eas tabulas lis detur, non recusamus, id. Rosc. Com. 1, 3: de tota lite pactionem facere, id. ib. 14, 40: in suam rem litem vertere, Liv. 3, 72: litem lite resolvere, to explain one obscure thing by another equally so, Hor. S. 2, 3, 103.