sue

To sue is defined as to bring a legal action against a person or an organization.

(verb)

An example of sue is filing a claim against a cafe for putting scalding coffee on the table to drink.

See sue in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb sued, suing

to appeal to; petition; beseech
Archaic to be a suitor of; woo
Law
1. to petition (a court) for legal redress
2. to bring civil action against or prosecute in a court of law in seeking justice or redress of wrongs
3. to carry (an action) through to its final decision

Origin: ME suen < OFr sivre, suir < VL *sequere, for L sequi, to follow: see sequent

intransitive verb

Related Forms:

See sue in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb sued sued, su·ing, sues

verb, transitive

Law
a. To petition (a court) for redress of grievances or recovery of a right.
b. To institute proceedings against (a person) for redress of grievances.
c. To carry (an action) through to a final decision.
To court; woo.
Obsolete To make a petition to; appeal to; beseech.

verb, intransitive

Law To institute legal proceedings; bring suit.
To make an appeal or entreaty: “I sue for grace, and thou deny'st me” (Francis Quarles).
To pay court; woo.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English sewen

Origin: , from Anglo-Norman suer

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *sequere, to follow

Origin: , from Latin sequī; see sek^w-¹ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: