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

See Examples For:

countersuit

Griffin’s countersuit claims that the classmate’s lawsuit characterizes her as “a fraud and a thief.”

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

“Plaintiff deliberately crafted a salacious narrative designed to achieve maximum press coverage and inflict maximum pain; unfortunately, it has succeeded despite its falsity,” the countersuit said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

Although he ended the defamation claim, the judge did not dismiss Robinson's countersuit completely, allowing other elements to continue, including emotional distress and financial elder abuse.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 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

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