case and lawsuit share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. case means “an occurrence of something”. lawsuit means “a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy”. case is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkeɪs/
1.n.an occurrence of something
“it was a case of bad judgment”
2.n.a special set of circumstances
“in that event, the first possibility is excluded”
3.n.a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
“the family brought suit against the landlord”
/ˈlɔˌsut/
1.n.a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
“the family brought suit against the landlord”
| case | lawsuit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪs/ | /ˈlɔˌsut/ |
| Said | kays | LAW-soot |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 4 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 22 | 1 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | instance, example | suit, case, cause |
Full entry for case · Full entry for lawsuit · More comparisons