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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

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.

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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.

Maurice Shakur claims that these developments make his wrongful death suit fundamentally different than the 1997 lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

Even with all the testimonials of uncertainty included in the lawsuit, none claim to experienced a crisis of faith because of watching “Mormon Stories.”

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

Elon Musk’s high-profile $100 billion civil lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman kicks off with oral arguments after the jury was seated.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

The trial is taking place in federal court in Oakland, Calif. The presiding judge has handled high-profile tech-industry cases including the long-running antitrust lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

‘There was a massive lawsuit pending against her for manipulating investor returns. A man named Royal Rampling is at the helm of it. Ever heard that name before?”

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

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.