counterclaim

/ˌkaʊntərˈkleɪm/

/ˈkaʊntəkleɪm/

Other forms: counterclaims; counterclaimed

When one person sues another in a court of law and the defendant responds by filing their own lawsuit against that person, that's a counterclaim.

If your neighbor sues you because you're collecting junky cars in your shared driveway, you might file a counterclaim stating that they stole property when they hauled one of the old cars to the town dump. Another way to use this word is to mean "opposing argument." In a debate, when you state that school lunch should be free for everyone, your opponent may present a counterclaim that the income from selling food helps the school in the long run.

Definitions of counterclaim

1. noun

   an argument offered in opposition to another argument
   synonyms: counterargument

   type of:

   argument, statement

   a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
2. noun

   a claim filed in opposition to another claim in a legal action
   type of:

   action, action at law, legal action

   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
3. verb

   set up a claim in opposition to a previous claim
   type of:

   claim

   ask for legally or make a legal claim to, as of debts, for example