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Glite Dictionary
to countersue

to countersue

5 6.3
Take someone to court after they take you to court
  • verb
  • /ˈkaʊntərˌsu/
translation icon : contrademandar
  • After losing his case, he decided to countersue the plaintiff for damages.
  • countersued, claiming
  • countersued, saying
  • countersued, charging

And I, I, I sued him and he countersued.

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Examples

  • They'll countersue, of course.

    Mank (2020)

  • Apple is countersuing HTC in Virginia, claiming that they are.

    Blog text (4)

  • Countersue these guys for everything they are worth.

    Blog text (6)

  • I would countersue and have you locked up for being a nut.

    Blog text (22)

  • I'd countersue for the $86,000 and make her sell.

    Blog text (18)

  • Leone has vowed to countersue.

    Blog text (2)

  • Zipcar countersued both me and the halal guy.

    Late Night with Seth Meyers

  • The Kauffmans countersued, claiming Wilbur was driving.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • He has countersued to get it back and also wants unspecified damages.

    Blog text (18)

  • Clarissa sued for custody of Peter, and somewhat to our parents' surprise, I think George countersued.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

to sue
vsto countersue
∞ 3.7

To take someone to court to ask for money

starts such proceedings specifically as a reaction to an opposing suit
to counterclaim
vsto countersue
  • Jargon
1 7.0

To make a claim in reply to another claim, often when you have been sued

files a separate lawsuit directly in response to the opponent's case

How Litigious

to countersue
5 6.3
to defend
212 3.5
to settle
596 3.3

Surface Forms

countersue infinitive
countersued past
countersued past participle
countersuing present participle
countersues third person singular

Morphology

countersue = sue (transparent) = counter + sue

The prefix 'counter-' clearly indicates an action in response to another action, making the meaning of 'countersue' directly derivable from 'sue'.

Etymology

Countersue combines the prefix counter-, which means 'in return' or 'against', as in the word counterattack, and the verb sue, which means 'to take someone to court'. So, to countersue is to 'sue back', meaning you start a legal case against someone in response to their lawsuit.