legal action
42
3.8
- noun
- /ˈliːɡəl ˈækʃən/
- Formal
:
acción legal
- The family initiated legal action to seek compensation for damages caused by the accident.
- take legal action
- bring legal action
- pursue legal action
So what could be the cause for this legal action against Hemingway?
- So what could be the cause for this legal action against Hemingway?
- That's why I'm glad I heard you say that George Anthony now is considering some legal action.
- With billions of dollars in jeopardy, some investors started exploring legal action.
- Is it worth anyone ever getting upset at the risk of getting a complaint and possible legal action being launched?
- And the reason I didn't pursue legal action is the same reason I've always struggled with the idea of doing that.
- For them, this is grounds for severe retaliation, revocation of AASP status or certifications, fines, or even potential legal action.
- Due to Trump's swift legal action, it is impossible to get your hands on one of these.
- And this can include stalking and surveillance, smear campaigns, punitive and harassing divorces and legal actions.
- Then in the May we had ABBC Panorama episode that was on about the scandal as well that announced publicly the legal action.
- And even then also, you're not just doing things out of fear of legal, legal action, You're doing things out of fear of public backlash to other parties involved.
- It's about risk of legal action, risk of divorce in a BS case.
Examples
-
Mr. Caprice, do you intend to take legal action against the city for false arrest?
-
The Society is a defendant in various legal actions arising out of the normal course of its operations.
Academic text (1998) -
I could face legal action from the client.
-
Are you going to pay this thing, or do I have to take legal action?"
Fiction book (1994) -
Is it worth anyone ever getting upset at the risk of getting a complaint and possible legal action being launched?
-
The town takes legal action against the mill.
-
We have exhausted every possible legal action.
-
Suppose that a group of parents were to bring legal action to force compliance with the law regarding arts education.
Academic text (2015) -
As the end of the 1980s drew near, all major players were involved in legal actions against one another.
Academic text (1999) -
When a new government passed a law prohibiting subsidies to Mobil, the company took legal action and prevailed.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
719
4.8
A person or company brings a claim to court to get a legal decision
425
5.6
A case one person brings against another in court to get a decision
407
6.8
A court case in which one person sues another
119
7.7
To use the courts to settle a dispute
27
3.5
A court case between two people or groups who disagree about legal rights
12
4.8
A formal set of actions in court that a judge uses to decide a dispute
A case where one person takes another to court to get or protect a right
How Serious
20
6.5
- Specialized
35
3.9
- Formal
42
3.8
- Formal
350
5.3
- Formal
276
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'legal action' is directly derivable from 'legal' (pertaining to the law) + 'action' (an act or step) as an act taken through the legal system (i.e. a lawsuit or court process). This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. acción legal, action juridique) and follows ordinary adjective + noun semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.
Etymology
Legal action may come from the idea of taking action in a legal place, like going to court to start a case. That's why it now means 'a formal court case'.