settle out of court

settle out of court

To resolve (a lawsuit, dispute, or threat thereof) by mutual agreement between both parties involved without going through a trial in a court of law. A noun or pronoun can be used between "settle" and "out." Members of the class-action lawsuit have agreed to settle out of court with the pharmaceutical manufacturer for an undisclosed amount. No one wants some lengthy and expensive trial. Let's just settle this thing out of court, shall we?

See also: court, of, out, settle

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

settle (something) (out of court)

to end a disagreement and reach an agreement without having to go through trial in a court of justice. The plaintiff and defendant decided to settle before the trial. Mary and Sue settled out of court before the trial.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.