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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• class-action adjective

Etymology

Origin of class action

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The online listing portal is now being pursued in a class action, launched by accountant Jeremy Newman on behalf of potentially hundreds of estate agents.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

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

Investigations for potential class action suits are common when a listed company’s share price tumbles, with entire legal practices devoted to similar types of securities fraud cases.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 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

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