lawsuit

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UK/ˈlɔːˌs(j)uːt/US/ˈlɔˌs(j)ut/cot caught merger/ˈlɑˌs(j)ut/

noun

In civil law, a case where two or more people disagree and one or more of the parties take the case to a court for resolution.

“My ex-fiancé filed a lawsuit against me for a false restraining order and defamation.”

Similar
litigationactioncausesuitcasecausa
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Meanings

nounlawsuit (plural lawsuits)

plural lawsuits

  1. lawIn civil law, a case where two or more people disagree and one or more of the parties take the case to a court for resolution.

    My ex-fiancé filed a lawsuit against me for a false restraining order and defamation.

    2 more examples

    The lawyer advised his client against filing a lawsuit as it would take a lot of time and money to resolve.

    It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.

    2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848

    Synonyms: litigation, action, cause, litigation, suit

verblawsuit (third-person singular simple present lawsuits, present participle lawsuiting, simple past and past participle lawsuited)

present singular third person lawsuits · participle present lawsuiting · participle past lawsuited · past lawsuited

  1. To bring a lawsuit.

    The master, said Thady, lawsuited against the tenants […]

    1970, Charles Lucey, Ireland and the Irish: Cathleen Ni Houlihan is Alive and Well, page 112

Synonyms & antonyms

nounIn civil law, a case where two or more people disagree and one or more of the parties take the case to a court for resolution.

Similar
litigationactioncauselitigationsuit

More synonyms by meaning

nouna comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy

Similar
suitcasecausecausa
Broader
proceedinglegal proceedingproceedings
Also see
actioncasecauselitigationsuit

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From law + suit.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans saak
  • saakcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Arabic دَعْوَى
  • دَعْوَى (daʕwā)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Bulgarian съде́бен проце́с, иск
  • съде́бен проце́с (sădében procés)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • иск (isk)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Catalan plet, litigi
  • pletcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • litigicase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • causacase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Chinese Cantonese 訴訟 /诉讼, 官司
  • 訴訟 /诉讼 (sou³ zung⁶)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • 官司 (gun¹ si¹)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Chinese Mandarin 訴訟 /诉讼, 官司
  • 訴訟 /诉讼 (sùsòng)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • 官司 (guānsi)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Czech soudní proces, proces
  • soudní procescase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • procescase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • soudní přecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Danish retssag
  • retssagcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Dutch rechtszaak, zaak
  • rechtszaakcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • zaakcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Esperanto proceso, juĝafero
  • procesocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • juĝaferocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Finnish siviilikanne, kanne
  • siviilikannecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • kannecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • oikeusjuttucase where a court is needed to resolve differences
French poursuite judiciaire, procès
  • poursuite judiciairecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • procèscase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • poursuitecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
German Gerichtsverfahren, Rechtsstreit
  • Gerichtsverfahrencase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • Rechtsstreitcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • Prozesscase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • Klagecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Greek αγωγή, μήνυση
  • αγωγή (agogí)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • μήνυση (mínysi)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Hindi दावा
  • दावा (dāvā)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Hungarian per, kereset
  • percase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • keresetcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • ügycase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • panaszcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • bírósági eljáráscase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Irish agra dlí, cúis dlí
  • agra dlícase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • cúis dlícase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • tagracase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Italian causa di tribunale, causa
  • causa di tribunalecase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • causacase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Japanese 訴訟
  • 訴訟 (soshō)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Korean 소송
  • 소송 (sosong)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Latin līs, dica
  • līscase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • dicacase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Lithuanian skundas
  • skundascase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Persian دعویٰ
  • دعویٰ (da'vâ)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Polish pozew
  • pozewcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Portuguese processo judicial, processo
  • processo judicialcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • processocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • pleitocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • ação penalcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Romanian caz judiciar, proces
  • caz judiciarcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • procescase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • cauzăcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Russian иск, тя́жба
  • иск (isk)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • тя́жба (tjážba)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • проце́сс (procéss)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • суде́бный проце́сс (sudébnyj procéss)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Scottish Gaelic cùis-lagha
  • cùis-laghacase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Slovak súdny proces
  • súdny procescase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Spanish proceso judicial, pleito
  • proceso judicialcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • pleitocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • litigiocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • demanda judicialcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Swahili kesi
  • kesicase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Tagalog pleyto
  • pleytocase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Turkish dava
  • davacase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Ukrainian по́зов, судо́вий проце́с
  • по́зов (pózov)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • судо́вий проце́с (sudóvyj procés)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Urdu مُقَدَّمَہ, دعویٰ
  • مُقَدَّمَہ (muqaddama)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • دعویٰ (da'vā)case where a court is needed to resolve differences
Welsh achos cyfreithiol, achos cyfraith
  • achos cyfreithiolcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • achos cyfraithcase where a court is needed to resolve differences
  • cyngawscase where a court is needed to resolve differences
Cite this entry
APA

lawsuit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lawsuit

MLA

“lawsuit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lawsuit. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lawsuit,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lawsuit.

Source: lawsuit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.