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lawsuit

American  
[law-soot] / ˈlɔˌsut /

noun

  1. a case in a court of law involving a claim, complaint, etc., by one party against another; suit at law.


lawsuit British  
/ -ˌsjuːt, ˈlɔːˌsuːt /

noun

  1. a proceeding in a court of law brought by one party against another, esp a civil action

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lawsuit

First recorded in 1615–25; law 1 + suit

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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.

Google and Character.AI, a California startup, have agreed to settle several lawsuits that allege artificial intelligence-powered chatbots harmed the mental health of teenagers.

From Los Angeles Times

Last month, as he announced the lawsuit, Munmeeth Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, called on the state to fix its mistakes.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2024, Allan Block filed a lawsuit against his twin brother John Block and several other Block family members after he had been pushed out as CEO and chairman.

From MarketWatch

After the lawsuits and mounting public backlash, Character made changes to its platform, and banned users under 18 late last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under what the lawsuit says was “immense pressure,” Kwatra signed a statement and a promissory note agreeing to repay the amount.

From The Wall Street Journal