Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| proceso judicial | /pɾoθeso xudiθjal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /pɾoseso xudisjal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
masculine |
| pleito | /ˈpleito/ | masculine |
| litigio | /liˈtixjo/ | masculine |
| demanda judicial | /demanda xudiθjal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /demanda xudisjal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
A lawsuit is a case where a court is needed to resolve differences.
Which one should you use?
While proceso judicial refers to the entire legal process, demanda judicial specifically refers to the formal complaint or the act of suing. Litigio is a technical term used primarily in legal and professional contexts to refer to the state of being in litigation, whereas pleito is often used in more colloquial or everyday contexts to describe a legal dispute or a long-standing disagreement.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the word juicio may refer to a trial or hearing in addition to a lawsuit.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of initiating a lawsuit, use the verb demandar. When you want to say 'to file a lawsuit', it is common to use the phrase entablar un proceso judicial.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoθeso xudiθjal/
Did you know?
- While pleito means a lawsuit in a legal sense, it is frequently used in daily life to describe any loud, angry argument between friends or family members.
- The word demanda is used for both a legal lawsuit and a request for something, such as the 'demand' for a product in economics.
- The Spanish word pleito is a distant relative of the English word 'plea'. Both originate from the Medieval Latin word placitum.
Examples in context
- La demanda fue presentada el pasado viernes.The lawsuit was filed last Friday.
- El proceso judicial será muy largo.The lawsuit will be very long.
- Necesitamos un abogado para el proceso judicial.We need a lawyer for the lawsuit.
- Todo el proceso judicial es público.The entire lawsuit is public.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are discussing a legal matter at home.
- Alejandro¿Cómo va el proceso judicial?How is the lawsuit going?
- LucíaEs complicado, Alejandro.It is complicated, Alejandro.
- AlejandroEspero que se resuelva pronto.I hope it is resolved soon.
- LucíaYo también lo espero.I hope so too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lawsuit” translations and entries pleito, litigio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demanda, judicial, litigio, pleito, proceso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
