lawsuit
LAW-soot
Lawsuit (noun) means a civil case brought before a court to settle a dispute between parties. Example: “The neighbours settled their dispute before it turned into a lawsuit.”
noun
1
A civil case brought before a court to settle a dispute between parties.
"The neighbours settled their dispute before it turned into a lawsuit."
"The company faced a lawsuit over the defective product."
"She filed a lawsuit against her former employer."
How to use lawsuit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA legal case one party brings against another in court.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
file a lawsuit
settle a lawsuit
face a lawsuit
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like lawsuit.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- lawsuits
- Third person singular
- lawsuits
- Past tense
- lawsuited
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The neighbours settled their dispute before it turned into a _____.
Etymology
A compound of "law" and "suit."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for lawsuit
See all rhymes for lawsuit →Frequently asked questions
What does “lawsuit” mean?
The word “lawsuit” means a civil case brought before a court to settle a dispute between parties. In plain terms, a legal case one party brings against another in court.
How do you pronounce “lawsuit”?
“Lawsuit” is pronounced LAW-soot (/ˈlɔˌs(j)ut/ in IPA).
How do you use “lawsuit” in a sentence?
Here is “lawsuit” used in a sentence: “The company faced a lawsuit over the defective product.”
What part of speech is “lawsuit”?
“Lawsuit” is a noun.
Is “lawsuit” a common word?
“Lawsuit” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between a lawsuit and a case?
A lawsuit is specifically a civil action that one party brings against another to settle a dispute, while case is the broader word for any matter before a court, civil or criminal. Every lawsuit is a case, but a criminal prosecution is a case that is not a lawsuit.
Is a lawsuit civil or criminal?
A lawsuit is civil. It is brought by a person, company, or other party to resolve a dispute, typically seeking money or another remedy. Criminal matters are brought by the state and are called prosecutions or criminal cases, not lawsuits.
What is the difference between a lawsuit and a suit?
In legal contexts they mean the same thing: suit is simply the shorter form of lawsuit, as in 'to file suit'. Lawsuit is clearer in general writing because suit also has unrelated meanings, such as a set of clothes.
Do you 'file', 'make', or 'do' a lawsuit?
The standard collocation is to file a lawsuit; you can also bring a lawsuit against someone. 'Make a lawsuit' and 'do a lawsuit' are not natural English. Related patterns include facing a lawsuit, settling a lawsuit, and dropping a lawsuit.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include lawsuit:
