countersuit

British  

/ ˈkaʊntəˌsuːt /

noun

1. law a legal claim made as a reaction to a claim made against one

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Explanation

If you take someone to court, they may respond by filing a countersuit against you. If a tenant sues their landlord for unfairly evicting them, the landlord might file a countersuit claiming months of unpaid rent. In law, a countersuit is sometimes called a counterclaim. It's what happens when one person sues another, who then responds by suing them. Imagine getting in a car accident that wasn't clearly the fault of either driver. If the other person is injured, she might sue you to pay her doctor bills. If you, in turn, have a hurt neck requiring a trip to the hospital, you could file a countersuit, hoping to make her pay your medical expenses.

Example Sentences

EDO filed a countersuit against iSpot in 2022, claiming iSpot’s lawsuit had interfered with an $80 million investment deal that the company was pursuing with Shamrock Capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Mitchell then asked the court to dismiss the Lilith Fund’s countersuit, invoking what is called an anti-SLAPP law.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2026

In a countersuit, Ms von Engelbrechten claimed that the accounts were "parody".

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

A judge dismissed the countersuit in June, saying it didn’t meet legal standards, marking a setback for Baldoni’s camp.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

I knew immediately what I would do: prepare a countersuit charging everyone from the lieutenant all the way up to the minister of justice with misconduct.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela