civil suits

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablelegal

   Court cases in which one person or organization sues another, usually to get money or enforce a right.

   Grammar: Plural form of 'civil suit'; takes plural verbs, as in 'civil suits are heard in civil courts'.

   Patterns

   • file civil suits against someone
   • bring civil suits
   • civil suits against a company

   The workers filed civil suits against the factory for unpaid wages.

   Civil suits are heard in civil courts, not criminal courts.

   Several civil suits were brought against the newspaper after the article.

2. 2nouncountablelegalspecialist

   Legal actions between private parties that do not involve criminal charges.

   Grammar: Often contrasted with criminal cases: 'civil suits deal with disputes, criminal cases with offenses'.

   Patterns

   • win a civil suit
   • settle a civil suit
   • a civil suit for damages

   She won a civil suit for damages after the accident.

   The company settled the civil suit before it reached trial.

Word forms

Common combinations

file a civil suit against someone

The family filed a civil suit against the landlord.

bring civil suits

The agency brought civil suits to recover the money.

settle a civil suit

They agreed to settle the civil suit out of court.

win a civil suit

He won a civil suit for breach of contract.

a civil suit for damages

She began a civil suit for damages after the crash.

Synonyms and how they differ

lawsuit

The everyday word for the same thing; 'civil suit' is more technical and stresses that it is not a criminal case.

legal action

Broader; it can include steps taken before a case actually reaches court.

litigation

Refers to the whole process of going to court, often with many cases, rather than one suit.

Opposites

Word family

sue verb

to make a legal claim against someone in a civil case

suit noun

a legal case brought by one party against another

civil adjective

relating to private law rather than criminal law

Commonly confused: civil suits or civil rights?

Practice

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