civil action
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A lawsuit in a court of law: A civil action is a legal proceeding initiated by one party (the plaintiff) against another (the defendant) to enforce or protect a private right, or to obtain a remedy for a wrong that is not a crime. It is distinct from a criminal prosecution, which is brought by the state.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The company filed a civil action against its former partner for breach of contract.
- A civil action for damages is often the only recourse for victims of negligence.
Advanced Usage
- "To bring a civil action": To formally initiate a lawsuit in a civil court.
- The injured party decided to bring a civil action to recover medical expenses.
Variants and Related Words
Civil suit (n): Another term for a civil action.
- The dispute was settled before the civil suit went to trial.
Litigation (n): The process of taking legal action; the process of conducting a lawsuit.
- The lengthy litigation exhausted both parties financially.
Synonyms
- Lawsuit: A comprehensive term for a case in a court of law.
- Legal proceeding: A formal process to resolve a legal dispute.
Related Phrases
Class action: A type of civil action where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court.
- The consumers joined a class action against the manufacturer.
Tort action: A civil action seeking compensation for a wrongful act (tort) that caused injury or loss.
- The victim's family pursued a tort action for wrongful death.
Noun
- legal action to protect a private civil right or to compel a civil remedy (as distinguished from criminal prosecution)