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Synonyms

legal action

American  
[lee-guhl ak-shuhn] / ˈli gəl ˈæk ʃən /

noun

plural

legal actions

  1. recourse to a law court for settlement of a dispute; lawsuit.

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.

Several states have taken legal action against the platforms, alleging the operations violate state gambling laws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Vera ordered the government not to deport Romero León pending the resolution of his legal action.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

"There's been systemic failure going on. And so in light of that, it seemed like the only course of action is to take legal action and make polluters pay."

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

The European Commission approved the move, but Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair and German airline Condor brought legal action, claiming this broke state aid rules.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

My first letter, Dear Mrs. O’Brien, Inasmuch as you have not seen fit to pay me what you owe me I may be forced to resort to legal action.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.