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lawsuit

noun
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law·​suit | \ ˈlȯ-ˌsüt How to pronounce lawsuit (audio) \

Definition of lawsuit

: a suit in law : a case before a court
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Synonyms for lawsuit

Synonyms

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Examples of lawsuit in a Sentence

the homeowner filed a lawsuit against the moving company that was refusing to be held responsible for damaging her furniture
Recent Examples on the Web China’s actions have again given rise to the possibility of a lawsuit by Vietnam in an attempt to hold China to account. — Timothy Mclaughlin, The Atlantic, "China Uses the Pandemic to Take Hong Kong's Autonomy," 22 May 2020 The organization’s national council filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February as its finances were challenged by 275 abuse lawsuits in state and federal courts. — Peg Brickley, WSJ, "Boy Scouts Set November Deadline for Sexual-Abuse Claims," 19 May 2020 But the states, in a lawsuit in September, said the changes violated both the language and the purpose of the Endangered Species Act. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Judge OKs suit by California, other states over lessened protections for endangered species," 18 May 2020 The Arizona House of Representatives is reconvening this week for the first time in nearly two months as legislators propose shielding businesses and other institutions from lawsuits in some circumstances if employees or customers contract COVID-19. — Andrew Oxford, azcentral, "Arizona House of Representatives reconvenes as lawmakers seek to protect businesses from coronavirus lawsuits," 18 May 2020 The county agreed to pay the men $4.5 million to settle the lawsuit in 2018. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland, "Judge finds East Cleveland law director acted unethically in wrongful imprisonment case, disqualifies her from representing police officers," 13 May 2020 Wednesday's lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims is assigned to Judge Cynthia Stephens, who was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 2008 by former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. — Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan GOP lawsuit against Gov. Whitmer unlikely to succeed, experts say," 7 May 2020 Morris and Whalen also are facing a number of federal and state lawsuits in connection with the home sales. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "Former 'Fox & Friends' host Clayton Morris, partner are accused of deceptive home sales," 6 May 2020 But two farmworker groups filed lawsuits in Skagit County Superior Court seeking tougher rules and immediate oversight. — Author: Nicholas K. Geranios, Anchorage Daily News, "County has highest rate of COVID-19 cases on West Coast," 3 May 2020

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

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First Known Use of lawsuit

1624, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for lawsuit

Time Traveler

The first known use of lawsuit was in 1624

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Statistics for lawsuit

Last Updated

27 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Lawsuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lawsuit. Accessed 4 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for lawsuit

lawsuit

noun
How to pronounce lawsuit (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of lawsuit

: a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations

See the full definition for lawsuit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lawsuit

noun
law·​suit | \ ˈlȯ-ˌsüt How to pronounce lawsuit (audio) \

Kids Definition of lawsuit

: a process by which a dispute between people or organizations is decided in court She lost the lawsuit against her doctor.

lawsuit

noun
law·​suit

Legal Definition of lawsuit

: an action brought in a court for the purpose of seeking relief from or remedy for an alleged wrong : suit

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More from Merriam-Webster on lawsuit

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lawsuit

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lawsuit

Spanish Central: Translation of lawsuit

Nglish: Translation of lawsuit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lawsuit for Arabic Speakers

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