Dismissal Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Dismissal.

Dismissal (noun):

1. The act of voluntarily concluding a lawsuit or criminal case by one participating party.

2. A judge's formal statement declaring the termination of a legal charge or lawsuit.

3. An appeal court's act of discharging an appeal, thus upholding the original decision made by the lower court.

4. The action taken by the plaintiff to settle and terminate a lawsuit. Dismissal can be with or without prejudice. If it's with prejudice, the lawsuit can't be filed again. However, if it's without prejudice, the lawsuit may be filed again if terms of the settlement are not met by the defendant.