settled out of court

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phraselegallaw

   resolved by an agreement between the parties involved, without a decision being made by a judge in court.

   Grammar: Used after a verb like 'be' or 'settle': 'The case was settled out of court.' It describes the result, not the action of settling.

   Patterns

   • be settled out of court
   • settle something out of court

   The company and the former employee settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

   Many personal injury cases are settled out of court to avoid a lengthy trial.

   They decided to settle out of court rather than risk a public hearing.

Common combinations

settle a case out of court

The lawyers advised their client to settle the case out of court.

reach a settlement out of court

The two sides reached a settlement out of court after months of negotiation.

settled out of court for an undisclosed sum

The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

agree to settle out of court

Both parties agreed to settle out of court to save time and money.

Synonyms and how they differ

settled privately

This is broader and can mean any private resolution, not necessarily one that avoids a court trial.

resolved by settlement

This is more formal and focuses on the agreement itself rather than the avoidance of court.

Opposites

Word family

settle verb

To end a disagreement or pay a debt.

settlement noun

An official agreement that ends a disagreement.

out-of-court settlement noun

An agreement reached without going to trial.

Commonly confused: settled out of court or settled in court?

Practice

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