A legal proceeding in a court; a judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights.

synonym: judicial proceeding.

Roget 713: disagreement etc. 24; discord, disaccord^†, dissidence, dissonance; jar, clash, shock; jarring, jostling etc. v.; screw loose.    variance, difference, dissension, misunderstanding, cross purposes, odds, brouillerie [Fr.]; division, split, rupture, disruption, division in the camp, house divided against itself, disunion, breach; schism etc. (dissent) 489; feud, faction.    quarrel, dispute, tiff, tracasserie^†, squabble, altercation, barney [Slang], demel_e, snarl, spat, towrow^†, words, high words; wrangling etc. v.; jangle, brabble^†, cross questions and crooked answers, snip-snap; family jars.    polemics; litigation; strife etc. (contention) 720; warfare etc. 722; outbreak, open rupture, declaration of war.    broil, brawl, row, racket, hubbub, rixation^†; embroilment, embranglement^†, imbroglio, fracas, breach of the peace, piece of work [Fr.], scrimmage, rumpus; breeze, squall; riot, disturbance etc. (disorder) 59; commotion etc. (agitation) 315; bear garden, Donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair.    subject of dispute, ground of quarrel, battle ground, disputed point; bone of contention, bone to pick; apple of discord, casus belli [Lat.]; question at issue etc. (subject of inquiry) 461; vexed question, vexata quaestio [Lat.], brand of discord.    troublous times^†; cat-and-dog life; contentiousness etc. adj.; enmity etc. 889; hate etc. 898; Kilkenny cats; disputant etc. 710; strange bedfellows.    ... show more

Roget 720: contention, strife; contest, contestation^†; struggle; belligerency; opposition etc. 708.    controversy, polemics; debate etc. (discussion) 476; war of words, logomachy^†, litigation; paper war; high words etc. (quarrel) 713; sparring etc. v.. competition, rivalry; corrivalry^†, corrivalship^†, agonism^†, concours^†, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap; regatta; field day; sham fight, Derby day; turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy^†, gymkhana^†; boat race, torpids^†.    wrestling, greco-roman wrestling; pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense; spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting; quarterstaff, single stick; gladiatorship^†, gymnastics; jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti^†, sumo; athletics, athletic sports; games of skill etc. 840.    shindy^†; fracas etc. (discord) 713; clash of arms; tussle, scuffle, broil, fray; affray, affrayment^†; velitation^†; colluctation^†, luctation^†; brabble^†, brigue^†, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash^†, bushfighting^†.    free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight.    conflict, skirmish; rencounter^†, encounter; rencontre^†, collision, affair, brush, fight; battle, battle royal; combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament; tilt, tilting [Mediev.]; tournay^†, list; pitched battle.    death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon^†.    hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war.    naval engagement, naumachia^†, sea fight.    duel, duello [It]; single combat, monomachy^†, satisfaction, passage d'armes [Fr.], passage of arms, affair of honor; triangular duel; hostile meeting, digladiation^†; deeds of arms, feats of arms; appeal to arms etc. (warfare) 722.    pugnacity; combativeness etc. adj.; bone of contention etc. 713.    ... show more

Roget 969: lawsuit, suit, action, cause; litigation; suit in law; dispute etc. 713.    citation, arraignment, prosecution, impeachment; accusation etc. 938; presentment, true bill, indictment.    apprehension, arrest; committal; imprisonment etc. (restraint) 751.    writ, summons, subpoena, latitat^†, nisi prius [Lat.]; venire, venire facias pleadings [Lat.]; declaration, bill, claim; proces verbal [Fr.]; bill of right, information, corpus delicti; affidavit, state of facts; answer, reply, replication, plea, demurrer, rebutter, rejoinder; surrebutter^†, surrejoinder^†.    suitor, party to a suit; plaintiff, defendant, litigant etc. 938.    hearing, trial; verdict etc. (judgment) 480; appeal, appeal motion; writ of error; certiorari [Lat.].    case; decision, precedent; decided case, reports (legal reference works, see reference books).. ... show more

Dutch: procesvoering, rechtsgeschil