lawsuit
UK/'lɒ:sju:t/US
TOEFLB2
Definitions
n.
A claim or dispute brought to a court of law by one party against another
诉讼；官司
Root Breakdown
Native Englishlaw + suit, where suit carries its older sense of 'a legal pursuit' — to follow a grievance through the courts. A lawsuit is the civil case itself. The 'suit = follow' idea (from Latin sequī) shows up here as following a matter to legal judgment.
Root suit still carries 7 more wordsUsage Guide
- file / bring a lawsuit against someone — start one
- face / be hit with a lawsuit — be the defendant
- settle / drop / win / lose a lawsuit
More everyday than the bare 'suit' (legal sense), which sounds slightly formal or old-fashioned on its own.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The company filed a lawsuit against its former supplier.
- 2.
They settled the lawsuit out of court.
- 3.
He is facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.