party
In legal parlance, a party is a person or entity who takes part in a legal transaction, for example a person with an immediate interest in an agreement or deed, or aplaintiff or a defendant in a lawsuit. A “third party” is a person who is a stranger to atransaction,contract, or proceeding. Parties in a lawsuit are the plaintiff or petitioner bringing the case, or the defendant or respondent defending against one.
[Last reviewed in August of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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