Legal Definition and Related Resources of Suit

Meaning of Suit

Any legal proceeding and includes an action in law as well as in equity . A generic term of comprehensive significance and applies to any proceeding in a court of justice in which the plaintiff pursues the remedy which the law affords him for the redress of an injury or the recovery of a right .

Suit Alternative Definition

In its broadest sense, any proceeding in a court of justice by which a party pursues a remedy which the law affords him. In this sense, it is a broader term than “action,” including proceedings in petition. 2 Pet. (U. S.) 449; 14 Pet. (U. S.) 540. “Suit” applies to criminal proceedings (143 Mass. 136), and proceedings both in equity and at law (20 How. Pr. [N. Y.] 381). In ‘ a narrower sense, “suit” has been held synonymous with “action.” 4 Wall. (U. S.) 112. And “suit” is commonly applied to proceedings in equity, and “action” to proceedings at law. 9 Barb. (N. Y.) 300. in Louisiana. A suit is a real, personal, or mixed demand made before a competent judge, by which the parties pray to obtain their rights and a decision of their disputes. Code Prac. art. 96. In that acceptation, the words “suit,” “process,” and “cause” are in that state almost synonymous. At Common Law. The term had several meanings, not included in the idea of proceedings in court, as:
(1) Suit of court, an attendance which a tenant owes to his lord’s court. Cowell; Jacob, 4.
(2) Suit covenant, where one has covenanted to do suit and service in his lord’s court.
(3) Suit custom, where service is owed time out of mifid.
(4) The following one in chase; as, fresh suit.
(5) A petition to a king, or a great person, or a court.

Synonyms of Suit

noun

actio
action
action at law
action to servejustice
case
causa
cause
cause in court
judicial contest
lawsuit
legal action
legal proceeding
legal remedy
lis
litigation
petition
proceeding
suit in law
trial Associated Concepts: class suits
nonsuit
suit against stateforeign phrases: Secta estpugna civilis; sicut adores armantur actionibus
et
quasi
accinguntur gladiis
ita rei muniuntur exceptionibus
et defenduntur
quasi
clypeis
A suit is a civil battle; for as the plaintiffs are armed with actions
and
as it were
girded with swords
so the defendants are fortified with pleas
and are defended
as it were
with shields
Frustra agit qui judicium prosequi nequit cum effectu
He sues vainly who cannot prosecute his judgment with effect
Nemo alieno nomine lege agerepotest
No one can sue in the name of another

Related Entries of Suit in the Encyclopedia of Law Project

Browse or run a search for Suit in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Suit in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Suit in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Suit in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Notice

This definition of Suit is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

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https://legaldictionary.lawin.org/suit/	The URI of Suit (more about URIs)

Suit in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of suit.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Suit

(You may find suit at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

c. 1300, sute, also suete, suite, seute, “a band of followers; a retinue, company;” also “set of matching garments” worn by such persons, “matching livery or uniform;” hence ” kind, sort; the same kind, a match;” also “pursuit, chase,” and in law, “obligation (of a tenant) to attend court; attendance at court,” from Anglo-French suit, siwete, from Old French suite, sieute “pursuit, act of following, hunt; retinue; assembly” (12c., Modern French suite), from Vulgar Latin *sequita, femenine of *sequitus, from Latin secutus, past participle of sequi “to attend, follow” (from PIE root *sekw- (1) “to follow”). Legal sense of “lawsuit; legal action” is from mid-14c. Meaning “the wooing of a woman” is from late 15c. Meaning “set of clothes to be worn together” is attested from late 14c.
, also “matching material or fabric,” from notion of the livery or uniform of court attendants. As a derisive term for “businessman,” it dates from 1979. Meaning “matched set of objects, number of objects of the same kind or pattern used together” is from late 14c., as is that of “row, series, sequence.” Meaning “set of playing cards bearing the same symbol” is first attested 1520s, also ultimately from the notion of livery. To follow suit (1670s) is from card-playing: “play a card of the same suit first played,” hence, figuratively, “continue the conduct of a predecessor.”

Suit