action at law

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

action at law - a judicial proceeding brought by one party against another; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong legal action, action antitrust case - a legal action brought against parties who are charged with limiting free competition in the market place civil action - legal action to protect a private civil right or to compel a civil remedy (as distinguished from criminal prosecution) counterclaim - a claim filed in opposition to another claim in a legal action custody case - a legal action to determine custody (usually of children following a divorce) lis pendens - a pending lawsuit legal proceeding, proceeding, proceedings - (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked criminal prosecution, prosecution - the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior test case, test suit - a representative legal action whose outcome is likely to become a precedent law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"