Nonsuit
//ˈnɒns(j)uːt// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A lawsuit that is dismissed as having been brought without cause, prior to an adjudication on the merits.
- 2 A neglect or failure by the plaintiff to follow up his suit; a renunciation or withdrawal of the cause by the plaintiff.
"[A]ltho the party be indicted as vvell as appeald, yet upon the nonſuit of the plaintiff, the proceeding for the king ſhall not be upon the indictment, but upon the appeal."
Verb
- 1 To dismiss (a suit or plaintiff) on the grounds of his or her lawsuit having been brought without cause, prior to an adjudication on the merits. transitive
"[W]here an appeal is brought at the ſuit of the party, and the plaintiff is nonſuit upon that appeal, yet the offender ſhall be arraigned at the king's ſuit upon ſuch appeal; […]"
Example
More examples"[A]ltho the party be indicted as vvell as appeald, yet upon the nonſuit of the plaintiff, the proceeding for the king ſhall not be upon the indictment, but upon the appeal."
Etymology
From non- + suit.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.