Words / B1

LORS-oot/ˈlɔːsuːt/

A lawsuit is a court case between two sides: file a lawsuit; bring a lawsuit against. A trial is the hearing; a lawsuit is the whole case. Sue is the everyday verb. Case is wider (a criminal case may not be a lawsuit between private parties). Do not use lawsuit for a police charge — that is a prosecution. US news uses lawsuit more than everyday UK speech (we often say taking them to court).

Meaning

A case in a court of law between two people or organisations.

Examples

• “The workers brought a lawsuit over unpaid overtime.”
• “Workers brought a lawsuit over unpaid holiday pay.”
• “The company settled the lawsuit before it reached trial.”

Good to know

bring / file a lawsuit against. Everyday: sue / take to court. Hearing: trial. Police charge: prosecution.

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