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Glite Dictionary
civil action

civil action

7 5.3
A legal case to get money or fix a private wrong, not a criminal case
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪvəl ˈækʃən/
  • Formal
translation icon : acción civil
  • The company filed a civil action to recover damages from the contractor who failed to meet the contract terms.
  • commence a civil action
  • bring civil actions
  • pursue a civil action

He won the cases and the civil actions he took in in West Virginia.

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Examples

  • The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to trial by jury in most civil actions brought in federal court.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The Securities and Exchange Commission files a civil action against WorldCom in New York federal court.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The public interest is central to a framework for civil action.

    Academic text (2016)

  • Davis is threatening civil action if the book is published.

    The Hoax (2006)

  • A key component of this litigation complex has been civil actions against religious groups.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We're filing a civil action against The Ledger.

    Spirits (1990)

  • The EPA is required to notify the state before issuing an order or starting a civil action.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The city may initiate a civil action for injunctive relief, damages, and civil penalties in state court.

    Blog text (20)

  • Congress provided public and private plaintiffs authority to pursue civil actions against responsible parties for reimbursement of clean-up costs.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Many people are familiar with statutes of limitations in civil actions for malpractice, negligence, trespass, workers' compensation, and so forth.

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

lawsuit
vscivil action
719 4.8

A person or company brings a claim to court to get a legal decision

is specific to private non-criminal rights and remedies rather than general claims
suit
vscivil action
  • Formal
425 5.6

A case one person brings against another in court to get a decision

focuses on protecting private non-criminal rights and obtaining specific remedies
legal action
vscivil action
  • Formal
42 3.8

A court process to solve a dispute when someone sues another

is narrower and applies only to private non-criminal rights and remedies
civil suit
vscivil action
  • Specialized
35 3.9

A lawsuit between people or companies to get money for harm that is not criminal

has the same meaning but uses a different short legal label
action at law
vscivil action
  • Formal
7.9

A case where one person takes another to court to get or protect a right

is limited to private non-criminal rights and remedies rather than all proceedings

Surface Forms

civil action singular
civil actions plural

Morphology

civil + action

The meaning of 'civil action' is directly built from 'civil' (relating to private/legal matters rather than criminal) and 'action' (a lawsuit), so the sense 'a lawsuit to protect private civil rights or obtain a civil remedy' is predictable from its parts. This is a standard legal compound with clear compositional logic, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to understand it.

Etymology

Civil action comes from the words civil meaning about private people and action meaning a legal case. Imagine two neighbors going to court to 'get money or fix a wrong' rather than to punish a crime, so civil action means a lawsuit to protect a person's private rights.