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Meaning & use

file a suit

phrase·Academiclegal

Last updated

UK/faɪl ə suːt/
US/faɪl ə sut/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiomlegal

    To start a legal case against someone by formally submitting the paperwork to a court.

    Grammar: The verb file is inflected: she filed a suit. Often followed by against someone.

    Patterns

    • file a suit against someone
    • file a suit for something

    The tenants decided to file a suit against their landlord.

    She filed a suit for unpaid wages last week.

    The family plans to file a suit if the company refuses to pay.

  2. phraseidiomlegal

    To bring a claim in court over a specific harm or dispute, naming the court or the reason.

    Grammar: Often adds the court or reason: file a suit in federal court, file a suit for damages.

    Patterns

    • file a suit in court
    • file a suit over something

    The artist filed a suit in federal court over the stolen design.

    Residents may file a suit over the polluted river.

    He threatened to file a suit for breach of contract.

Word forms

third person singularfiles a suit
past tensefiled a suit
past participlefiled a suit
-ing formfiling a suit

Common combinations

file a suit against
They will file a suit against the builder.
file a suit for damages
She filed a suit for damages after the accident.
threaten to file a suit
The supplier threatened to file a suit over late payment.
file a suit in court
A group of parents filed a suit in county court.
decide to file a suit
After months of talks, they decided to file a suit.

Synonyms and how they differ

sue
Sue is shorter and takes the person directly (sue the company), while file a suit describes the formal act of starting the case.
bring an action
Bring an action is more formal and typical of legal writing, while file a suit is more common in news.
take legal action
Take legal action is broader and can include steps before court, whereas file a suit means actually submitting a case.
press charges
Press charges applies to criminal matters brought by the state, while file a suit is for civil disputes between parties.

Opposites

settledrop the case

Word family

lawsuit noun
a legal case brought to a court
suit noun
a case in a court of law
plaintiff noun
the person who starts a case
filing noun
a formal document submitted to a court

Commonly confused: file a suit or file charges? file a suit or press a suit?

file a suit vs file charges

File charges is used for criminal accusations made to the authorities, while file a suit starts a civil case.

file a suit vs press a suit

Press a suit means keep pursuing a case already filed, not begin it.

Practice

After the contractor never finished the roof, the homeowner decided to ____ and seek compensation.

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