counterclaim

noun coun·ter·claim \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌklām \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

: an opposing claim; especially : a claim brought by a defendant against a plaintiff in a legal action

Recent Examples of counterclaim from the Web

Moore filed a counterclaim against Corfman on Tuesday on grounds of defamation and slander.

— paul gattis, AL.com, "Judge sets tentative trial date in Roy Moore lawsuit," 12 Apr. 2018
Attorneys for Moore filed the defamation counterclaim Monday against Leigh Corfman — who has an ongoing defamation lawsuit against Moore — denying the accusations of misconduct raised by Corfman in an interview with The Washington Post.

— Washington Post, "Sinclair station commentator resigns after threats to Parkland, Fla. survivor," 11 Apr. 2018
The lawsuit does not name the owner, and Amelie’s denied the allegation in a counterclaim.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "Amelie’s owners settled a lawsuit with former partner, who alleged poor management | Charlotte Observer," 2 Mar. 2018
In the Salisbury case, Russia has focused its efforts on a campaign of denial and counterclaim in which officials at times have contradicted each other.

— matthew bodner and karla adam, chicagotribune.com, "Britain's top diplomat accuses Putin of being behind Russian spy poisoning," 16 Mar. 2018
Officials and pundits in Moscow have issued a steady stream of denials and counterclaims, a tactic that continued Thursday.

— karla adam, Washington Post, "U.S., France and Germany join Britain in saying Russia likely responsible for chemical attack against former spy," 15 Mar. 2018
Since Landan filed his lawsuit, the two former employees and one of the women have filed counterclaims.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Haymarket Whiskey Bar owner mocked sexual assault accusers, former employees say," 8 Mar. 2018
As the claims — and counterclaims — have made their way through Federal District Court in Brooklyn, issues have arisen over sign fonts, Twitter accounts and the crucial question of which pizzeria the actor Tobey Maguire actually likes best.

— alan feuer, New York Times, "First Ray, Then Patsy, Now Joe. Another Pizza War Breaks Out.," 5 Mar. 2018
This agreement—included in whole in Ford and Reiche’s counterclaim—is the original contract signed between Reiche and Accolade.

— lee hutchinson, Ars Technica, "Star Control countersuit aims to invalidate Stardock’s trademarks [Updated]," 22 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterclaim.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of counterclaim

1784

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

counterclaim

verb

intransitive verb

: to enter or plead a counterclaim

transitive verb

: to ask in a counterclaim

Recent Examples of counterclaim from the Web

The foundation asked for a dismissal of all claims and counterclaimed for payment of $960,000.

— milton esterow, Vanities, "The Bitter Legal Battle over Peggy Guggenheim’s Blockbuster Art Collection," 19 Feb. 2017
The foundation asked for a dismissal of all claims and counterclaimed for payment of $960,000.

— milton esterow, Vanities, "The Bitter Legal Battle over Peggy Guggenheim’s Blockbuster Art Collection," 19 Feb. 2017
The foundation asked for a dismissal of all claims and counterclaimed for payment of $960,000.

— milton esterow, vanityfair.com, "The Bitter Legal Battle over Peggy Guggenheim’s Blockbuster Art Collection," 5 Jan. 2017
While finding that a number of facts remain in dispute, Bledsoe dismissed Hopkins’ defamation claims and Michael Waltrip Racing’s counterclaims accusing Hopkins of stealing pit crew tools and misappropriating trade secrets about one of the tools.

— joe marusak, charlotteobserver, "Lawsuit against Michael Waltrip Racing can go to trial, judge rules," 1 June 2017

First Known Use of counterclaim

1857

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Law Dictionary

counterclaim

noun coun·ter·claim \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌklām \

: a claim for relief that is asserted against an opposing party after an original claim has been made — compare affirmative defense at defense, cross-action, cross-appeal, cross-claim, interpleader, third-party claim

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