lawsuit
Americannoun
-
lawsuits
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lawsuit
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How does lawsuit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
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.
See Examples For:
In September 2022, Salazar filed a class-action lawsuit, arguing that Paramount violated the VPPA.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026
Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, whose office is leading the lawsuit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Whatever happens, the lawsuit will still tell a powerful story.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
“We provided California an opportunity to self correct its records,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said after the lawsuit was filed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
That case set no precedent because it settled out of court, with rights to the cells being divided between the parties involved in the lawsuit, which didn’t include the cell “donor.”
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
“As people like to say in the basin, lawsuits aren’t going to generate any water,” Mr. Udall says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
SafeSport, a non-profit established to prevent the abuse of athletes and and address misconduct allegations, was dismissed as a defendant in two lawsuits filed by gymnasts that allege the organization did not properly investigate Gardner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Until now, the only lawsuits filed over the disaster had targeted public authorities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
The company said in July that it would commit $5.5 billion to resolve the lawsuits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
More important, the defamation lawsuits chilled sympathetic coverage of civil rights activism.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
