sue /sjuː $ suː/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Anglo-French ; Origin: suer 'to follow, make a legal claim to' , from Vulgar Latin sequere , from Latin sequi ; ⇨ ↑ sequence ]
1 . to make a legal claim against someone, especially for money, because they have harmed you in some way:
If the builders don’t fulfil their side of the contract, we’ll sue.
The company is suing a former employee.
sue (somebody) for libel/defamation/negligence/slander etc
Miss James could not afford to sue for libel.
She was suing doctors for negligence over the loss of her child.
The railway may sue for damages (=in order to get money) because of loss of revenue.
He is being sued for divorce (=in order to end a marriage) by his wife.
2 . sue for peace formal if a country or army sues for peace, they ask for peace, especially because there is no other good choice:
They had hoped to force the North to sue for peace.