civil action

A 'civil action' involves legal disputes between private parties, distinct from criminal prosecutions.

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Definition

C1Legal Proceedings

(formal, legal)A non-criminal lawsuit where one party sues another to resolve a dispute, often seeking monetary compensation or other relief.

Example

  • The company filed a civil action against the contractor for breach of contract.
  • She pursued a civil action to recover damages from the car accident.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "civil action":

civil lawcivil timecause of actioncivil rightsdirect action