class action

American  

noun

1. a legal proceeding in which persons representing interests common to a large group participate as representatives of the group or class.

---

class action British  

noun

1. law a legal action undertaken by one or more people representing the interests of a large group of people with the same grievance

---

Other Word Forms

• class-action adjective

Etymology

Origin of class action

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Attorneys have also filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all the women involved in the incident, which is scheduled to go to mediation in May, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

The class action lawsuit was made on behalf of passengers whose flights were cancelled by the carrier between 2020 and 2022 and received travel credits instead of cash.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Law firm Echo Law launched the class action in 2023, alleging that Qantas had breached Australian consumer law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Echo Law is leading a similar class action lawsuit against Australian budget carrier, Jetstar, over allegedly issuing customers travel credits that were worth less than the refunds that customers were entitled to.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Instead, at the end of 2002, Household settled a class action suit out of court and agreed to pay a $484 million fine distributed to twelve states.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis