Definition

1. Noun:
   • A legal proceeding initiated by one or more individuals on behalf of themselves and a larger group of people who share a common grievance or have suffered similar harm from the same defendant(s). This representative lawsuit allows for the collective resolution of claims that might be too small or costly to pursue individually.

Usage

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

Advanced Usage

• "To bring/file a class-action suit": To initiate this type of legal proceeding.
  • The law firm decided to bring a class-action suit on behalf of all residents exposed to the contaminated water.
• "To certify a class-action suit": A judicial determination that the case meets the legal requirements to proceed as a class action.
  • The judge's decision to certify the class-action suit was a crucial step for the plaintiffs.

Variants and Related Words

• Class action (n): Often used interchangeably with "class-action suit" to refer to the lawsuit itself.
  • The court approved the class action against the software developer.
• Class-action lawsuit (n): A full synonym for "class-action suit."
• Lead plaintiff or Class representative (n): The individual(s) who represent the entire class in the suit.

Synonyms

• Representative action: A legal term for a lawsuit brought by a person representing a group.
• Group litigation: A broader term encompassing various forms of multi-party lawsuits.

Related Phrases

• Opt out of a class-action suit: The right of a class member to exclude themselves from the lawsuit to pursue an individual claim.
  • Recipients of the notice have 60 days to opt out of the class-action suit.
• Class member: An individual who is part of the group represented in the suit.
  • As a class member, you may be 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