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Law vocabulary · Lawsuits & Procedure

Party

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈpɑːti/nounCore term

In law, party means: Each person or organisation directly involved in a contract or a court case, such as the buyer and the seller, or the claimant and the defendant.

In Turkish: taraf

How it is used

Very frequent in contracts and court documents. 'The parties' means both sides; a 'third party' is someone outside the agreement. Contracts often say 'each party shall…' or 'the parties agree that…'.

Example sentences

  1. Both parties have agreed to try mediation before going to court.

  2. The licence cannot be transferred to a third party without written consent.

Common collocations

  • the parties agree
  • third party
  • contracting party
  • injured party
  • party to the proceedings
  • plaintiffThe person or company that starts a civil case in court against someone else and asks the court for a remedy.
  • defendantThe person or company that a case is brought against: the side that must answer a civil claim or a criminal charge.
  • contractAn agreement between two or more parties that the law will enforce, setting out what each side must do or give.
  • proceedingsThe formal steps of a legal case, from the moment it is started until it is finished; the legal process as a whole.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Lawsuits & Procedure

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.