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Synonyms

lawsuit

American  
[law-soot] / ˈlɔˌsut /

noun

lawsuits plural
  1. a case in a court of law involving a claim, complaint, etc., by one party against another; suit at law.


lawsuit British  
/ -ˌsjuːt, ˈlɔːˌsuːt /

noun

  1. a proceeding in a court of law brought by one party against another, esp a civil action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of lawsuit

First recorded in 1615–25; law 1 + suit

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Explanation

A lawsuit is the result of a disagreement that ends up in court. A long-running feud between neighbors about a flock of chickens and a barking dog might eventually end up as a lawsuit. If someone files a lawsuit against you, you become a defendant, while they are the plaintiff. Lawsuits are always part of civil law, rather than criminal cases, involving something some kind of financial or personal loss. When you're embroiled in a lawsuit, you'll probably need to hire a lawyer. This legal term dates from the 17th century.

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Vocabulary lists containing lawsuit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lawsuit alleges Apple monitors employees’ personal iCloud accounts and illegally limits them from discussing their wages and working conditions.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2024

"They trained illegally using Twitter data. Lawsuit time," the multi-billionaire said in a tweet.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2023

Lawsuit: The Hoopa Valley Tribe is suing the federal government for failing to collect money from California farms that rely on federally supplied water to pay for damages to tribal fisheries, The Associated Press reports.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2022

“Brokers bring us somewhere between 10% to 15% of our business,” says Rory Donadio, CEO of Tribeca Lawsuit Loans.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2022

They returned, by slow stages, visit after visit, in October last,—some slake occurring, I suppose, in that interminable Honsbruck Lawsuit; and much business, not to speak of ennui, urging them back.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 14 by Carlyle, Thomas

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