lawsuit
Americannoun
-
lawsuits
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lawsuit
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.
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:
A government statement said the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the capital, Brasilia, was brought after failed negotiations with Discord, whose proposals were "deemed insufficient to eliminate the identified risks."
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Cook could keep her job while her lawsuit proceeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Liman dismissed Baldoni’s lawsuit, finding that his claims against Lively, Reynolds and others were legally insufficient.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
In 2023, four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—led a lawsuit against Meta.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I believe that the school is afraid of a lawsuit, and that perhaps is why they lost their sense of proportion, no? Please do not repeat me.”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Medtronic faces several proposed class-action lawsuits over the breach, alleging mishandling of health information and poor cybersecurity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Meta has fought hard, over multiple lawsuits spanning many months and at great expense, to defend its commitment to protecting children on its platforms.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Social media companies have evaded certain types of lawsuits in the United States due to free speech protections that shield them from liability.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
The company is also staring down lawsuits from people and school districts that predated the settlement and are set to go to trial soon, the Times reports.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
One of the most surprising and perhaps dismaying revelations was that Chicago’s chief of police, in his prior legal career, had represented Holmes in a dozen routine commercial lawsuits.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
