suable
Definition
Adjective (Legal term): Suable means capable of being sued; subject to legal action or prosecution in a court of law.
Usage Examples
- (The company can be legally sued for harm from faulty goods.)
- (They are immune from being sued in those cases.)
Advanced Usage
"suable entity": a person, organization, or institution that can be named as a defendant in a lawsuit.
- A corporation is a suable entity, while a sole proprietorship may not be. (A corporation can be sued; a sole proprietorship may have different legal status.)
"suable cause of action": a legal basis that allows someone to file a lawsuit.
- The court must determine whether a suable cause of action exists. (The court decides if there is a valid legal reason to sue.)
Variants and Related Words
Sue (verb): to initiate legal proceedings against someone.
- She plans to sue the contractor for breach of contract. (She will take legal action.)
Suit (noun): a legal proceeding or lawsuit.
- The suit was filed in federal court. (The lawsuit was submitted.)
Suer (noun): a person who brings a lawsuit.
- The suer must provide evidence to support the claim. (The plaintiff must show proof.)
Unsueable (adjective): not capable of being sued.
- Diplomatic representatives are often unsueable under international law. (They have immunity from lawsuits.)
Synonyms
- Actionable: giving grounds for a legal action.
- Prosecutable: capable of being prosecuted (especially in criminal law).
- Liable: legally responsible (though this often refers to responsibility, not the ability to be sued).
Related Idioms
To have a leg to stand on: to have a valid legal basis for suing.
- Without a contract, he doesn't have a leg to stand on in court. (He lacks a suable cause of action.)
To throw the book at someone: to sue or prosecute someone to the fullest extent of the law.
- The government decided to throw the book at the fraudster. (They pursued a full legal case against him.)