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.

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lawsuit British  

/ -ˌsjuːt, ˈlɔːˌsuːt /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of lawsuit

First recorded in 1615–25; law ¹ + suit

Compare meaning

How does lawsuit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• litigation vs. lawsuit

Explanation

A lawsuit is the result of a disagreement that ends up in court. A long-running feud between neighbors about a flock of chickens and a barking dog might eventually end up as a lawsuit. If someone files a lawsuit against you, you become a defendant, while they are the plaintiff. Lawsuits are always part of civil law, rather than criminal cases, involving something some kind of financial or personal loss. When you're embroiled in a lawsuit, you'll probably need to hire a lawyer. This legal term dates from the 17th century.

Example Sentences

Ritter filed a federal lawsuit in California in April challenging the arbitration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

A widow whose husband was killed in a car accident by a negligent driver but who could not bring a lawsuit because of a federal statute preserving governmental immunity.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

OpenAI’s explosive growth has come on the back of a “web of deceit and the exploitation of users,” alleges Florida’s attorney general in a new lawsuit.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

The federal government, representing the Osage Nation, had filed a lawsuit against Enel, the Italian energy conglomerate that owned the wind farm.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• accusation
• action
• argument
• bill
• case
• claim
• dispute
• impeachment
• indictment
• litigation
• prosecution
• suit
• trial