class action

noun

: a legal action undertaken by one or more plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and all other persons having an identical interest in the alleged wrong

Examples of class action in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The case is a class action suit, brought by several current and former inmates at a women’s prison, against the private contractor that ran the place and allowed abuse to run rampant. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

The exact litigation in question is unclear but Wayne County is a defendant in a class action lawsuit in federal court related to surplus proceeds. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2024

In 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed in California against Botanic Tonics alleging that the drink was advertised as a safe alternative to alcohol. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024

Four sued the county in federal court in 2013, in what would become a class action, claiming the department was not providing adequate care. —Christopher Damien, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

class action

noun

: an action in which a representative plaintiff sues or a representative defendant is sued on behalf of a class of plaintiffs or defendants who have the same interests in the litigation as their representative and whose rights or liabilities can be more efficiently determined as a group than in a series of individual suits

called also class action suit, class suit

see also certification compare consolidate, joinder, test case at case

Note: Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure sets out the prerequisites for having an action certified as a class action in federal court. Section (a) permits a class action if “(1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.” If the action satisfies these requirements, it must then fit into one of three categories: (1) where individual litigation would have varying results requiring the opposing party to act inconsistently toward the class members or would affect the interests of class members who are not parties to the individual action; (2) where the opposing party has acted or refused to act on grounds that are applicable to the class members as a whole and therefore injunctive or declaratory relief with respect to the class members as a whole is appropriate; or, (3) where the questions of law or fact common to the class members outweigh questions that apply to only particular individuals so that a class action is the best method to determine respective rights and liabilities. Using these guidelines, the judge will decide if an action should be certified as a class action.