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Synonyms

lawsuit

American  
[law-soot] / ˈlɔˌsut /

noun

  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

Etymology

Origin of lawsuit

First recorded in 1615–25; law 1 + suit

Compare meaning

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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

Legal Lingo, List 3

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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.

The website was published on Saturday, and is called Lawsuit Info.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025

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

It filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit under California’s Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation statute, or anti-SLAPP.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2023

Lawsuit rejected: The California Supreme Court declined to block the rollout of Newsom’s sweeping new plan to compel people with severe mental illness into treatment, The Los Angeles Times reports.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2023

Henceforth all plunges into Lawsuit, into chaos of conflicting lies,—undecipherable, not worth deciphering.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16 by Carlyle, Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.