Definition

A legal action taken by one person or group against another in a court of law to resolve a dispute or seek compensation.

Example

She filed a lawsuit against the company for unfair dismissal.

Conversation

Did you hear about the lawsuit against that big company?

Yeah, I read about it online; it sounds pretty serious.

I wonder what will happen if they lose the lawsuit.

It could change everything for them, especially their reputation.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Lawsuit is formed from "law" (from Old English *lagu*, meaning a rule or regulation) and "suit" (from Old French *suit*, meaning a following or pursuit). The term refers to a legal action where one party pursues a claim against another under the law.

Memory Tip

Think of 'law' as the rules we follow and 'suit' as the act of pursuing something — a lawsuit is when someone follows the rules to pursue a legal claim.

Visually Confused Words