Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of lawsuit: A legal proceeding in which one or several plaintiffs bring a suit on behalf of a larger group of people who have a common claim. The court's decision binds all members of the group.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in legal contexts to describe a procedural device for efficiently adjudicating the claims of numerous parties with similar legal grievances.
• It functions as a compound noun, typically appearing in phrases like "file a class action," "class action lawsuit," or "class action settlement."

Examples

• Noun:
  • The consumers filed a class action against the pharmaceutical company for misleading advertising.
  • The court certified the case as a class action, allowing thousands of affected customers to join the suit.

Advanced Usage

• "Class action certification": The process where a court formally recognizes a lawsuit as a class action, defining the class of people it represents.
  • The judge's approval of the class action certification was a major step for the plaintiffs.
• "Class action settlement": A resolution of a class action lawsuit agreed upon by the parties and approved by the court.
  • The proposed class action settlement would provide refunds to all eligible purchasers.

Variants and Related Words

• Class-action (adjective): Used attributively to describe nouns related to this type of lawsuit.
  • They hired a firm specializing in class-action litigation.
• Class representative / Named plaintiff: The individual(s) who sue on behalf of the entire class in a class action.

Synonyms

• Representative action: Another legal term for a lawsuit brought by a party representing others with the same interest.
• Group litigation: A broader term encompassing various legal procedures for handling multiple similar claims.

Related Phrases

• To opt out of a class action: To choose not to be included in a certified class, often to preserve the right to file an individual lawsuit.
  • Notice was sent to all potential members, informing them of their right to opt out of the class action.
• Class member: An individual who is part of the group represented in a class action lawsuit.
  • As a class member, she was entitled to a portion of the settlement.

Noun

1. a lawsuit brought by a representative member of a large group of people on behalf of all members of the group