lawsuit
legal claim
[C] Countable
pl: lawsuits
This term carries a heavy weight of formality and conflict, evoking the sterile atmosphere of a courtroom and the tension of legal battle. It implies a formal demand for justice or compensation, typically involving lawyers and documented evidence.
While a trial is the process of deciding the case, the lawsuit refers to the entire legal action from the initial filing to the final resolution. It is most commonly used in civil contexts rather than criminal ones, where the focus is on liability and damages rather than imprisonment.
Used to count individual legal actions, such as filing three different lawsuits against a corporation.