claimant

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

claimant
    n 1: someone who claims a benefit or right or title; "claimants
         of unemployment compensation"; "he was a claimant to the
         throne"

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Claimant \Claim"ant\, n. [Cf. OF. clamant, p. pr. of clamer. Cf.
   {Clamant}.]
   One who claims; one who asserts a right or title; a claimer.
   [1913 Webster]

from Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

CLAIMANT. In the courts of admiralty, when the suit is in rem, the cause is 
entitled in the Dame of the libellant against the thing libelled, as A B v. 
Ten cases of calico and it preserves that title through the whole progress 
of the suit.When a person is authorized and admitted to defend the libel, he 
is called the claimant. The United States v. 1960 bags of coffee; 8 Cranch, 
R. 398; United States v. The Mars; 8 Cranch, R. 417; 30 hhds. of sugar, 
(Brentzon, claimant, v. Boyle. 9 Cranch, R. 191.

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

27 Moby Thesaurus words for "claimant":
      accusant, accuser, allegator, appellant, applicant, aspirant,
      bidder, candidate, complainant, delator, impeacher, impugner,
      indictor, informer, libelant, party, petitioner, plaintiff,
      postulant, prosecutor, seeker, solicitant, solicitor, suitor,
      suppliant, supplicant, the prosecution