cause of action

noun phrase

: the grounds (such as violation of a right) that entitle a plaintiff to bring a suit

Examples of cause of action in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The plaintiffs claimed the state unconstitutionally spent taxpayer money to fund the account program, but also cited the Arkansas Declaratory Judgment Act as a separate cause of action, according to the opinion. —Arkansas Online, 11 Dec. 2025

Instead of focusing on serious violations that harmed employees, PAGA was increasingly used as a cause of action to sue over minor, technical mistakes, like a typo on a pay stub. —Roger Niello, Oc Register, 7 Oct. 2025

In order to establish a cause of action the corporation or its shareholders must rebut these presumptions and prove a breach of their duties involving fraud, intentional misconduct, an ultra vires act (i.e. outside scope of powers), or a knowing violation of law. —Joshua D. Smeltzer, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

The legislation also creates a civil cause of action so immigrants who are scammed by notarios can sue for damages and attorney fees. —Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025

Through my legal lens, any importer who paid the full 145 percent tariff might have a legal cause of action. —Aron Solomon, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cause of action

• dissatisfaction
• overreaction
• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction

Legal Definition

cause of action

1

: the grounds (as violation of a right) that entitle a plaintiff to bring a suit

an amended pleading reiterating a cause of action for lost profits

—J. H. Friedenthal et al.

also : the part of a suit brought on those grounds

removed the cause of action to the district court

2

: right of action sense 1

the court, led by Justice Brennan, said Congress intended to provide a private cause of action

—National Law Journal