countersuit

noun

coun·​ter·​suit ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌsüt How to pronounce countersuit (audio)
variants or less commonly counter-suit
plural countersuits also counter-suits
: an opposing lawsuit
especially : a claim asserted by an opposing party in a lawsuit (such as a defendant) against the party bringing the original lawsuit (such as a plaintiff) : counterclaim
decided to file a countersuit against her accuser
The current appeal results from a patent infringement suit and countersuit between Apple Inc. ("Apple") and Samsung Electronics Co … Apple, Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 816 F. 3d 788 (2016)

Examples of countersuit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Geffen’s countersuit also points out that Sun has been alleged to mistreat employees in the past, implying that Xiong may have been coerced into her confession. Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025 In August 2022, lawyers representing Ziz and a long-time follower named Gwen Danielson in a countersuit over the CFAR incident filed motions claiming Ziz had died after falling overboard earlier that month, and that Danielson was believed to have died by suicide (though prosecutors were skeptical). Aja Romano, Vox, 24 Feb. 2025 The case and countersuit are ongoing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025 The countersuit was filed in a US District Court in California on Wednesday. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for countersuit

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of countersuit was in 1814

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Cite this Entry

“Countersuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countersuit. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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