Refers to the written response of a person being accused in a civil case admitting or denying the allegations made against them and providing any defenses they may have.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
answer (noun)1.
a) something spoken or written in reply to a question
b) a correct response - knows the answer
2.
a reply to a legal charge or suit - plea , also - defense
3.
something done in response or reaction - his only answer was to walk out
4.
a solution of a problem - more money is not the answer
5.
one that imitates, matches, or corresponds to another - television's answer to the newsmagazines
intransitive verb
1.
to speak or write in reply
2.
a) to be or make oneself responsible or accountable - answer for a debt
b) to make amends - atone must answer for his crimes
3.
to be in conformity or correspondence - answered to the description
4.
to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another - the home team scored first but the visitors answered quickly
5.
transitive verb
to be adequate - serve an old bucket answered for a sink
1.
a) to speak or write in reply to - answer a question answer me
b) to say or write by way of reply - answer yes or no
2.
to reply to in rebuttal, justification, or explanation - answer an accusation
3.
a) to correspond to - answers the description
b) to be adequate or usable for - fulfill answer a need
4.
obsolete to atone for
5.
to act in response to - answered the call to arms
6.
to offer a solution for , especially - solve answer a riddle
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
answer (noun)1.
something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question
SYNONYMS:
comeback, rejoinder, replication, reply, response, retort, returnRELATED WORDS:
back talk, banter, persiflage, repartee; acknowledgment ( acknowledgement), comment, communication, correspondence, feedback, non sequitur, observation, reaction, remark; defense, explanation, justification, plea, rebuttal, refutationNEAR ANTONYMS:
challenge, charge, cross-examination, grilling, interrogation, interrogatory, quiz; poll, questionnaire, survey2.
something attained by mental effort and especially by computation
SYNONYMS:
result, solutionRELATED WORDS:
conclusion, determination, explanation, finding; clue, key3.
action or behavior that is done in return to other action or behavior
SYNONYMS:
answer, reply, response, takeRELATED WORDS:
backlash, kickback; rebound; recoil, reflex; revulsion, rise; counterreaction, counterresponseNEAR ANTONYMS:
action, behavior; cause, effect1.
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction
SYNONYMS:
come back, rejoin, reply, respond, retort, return, riposteRELATED WORDS:
acknowledge, comment, communicate, correspond, react, remark; counter, defend, deny, explain, field, rebut, refuteNEAR ANTONYMS:
challenge, cross-examine, examine, grill, interrogate, pump, quiz; poll, query, survey2.
to be in agreement on every point
SYNONYMS:
accord, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme ( rime), sort, square, tallyRELATED WORDS:
equal, match, parallel; align ( aline), line up, registerNEAR ANTONYMS:
contradict, dispute, gainsay; negate, nullify; clash, conflict, jar3.
to do what is required by the terms of
SYNONYMS:
answer, complete, comply (with), fill, keep, meet, redeem, satisfyRELATED WORDS:
conclude, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect; accomplish, achieve, bring about, bring off, carry out, effect; commit, compass, discharge, execute, follow through (with), make, performNEAR ANTONYMS:
default (on); disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight4.
to find an answer for through reasoning
SYNONYMS:
answer, break, crack, dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), resolve, riddle (out), unravel, unriddle, work, work outRELATED WORDS:
conclude, decide, deduce, gather, infer, judge, reason; clear (up), iron out, straighten (out), unscramble, untangle, untie; assume, conjecture, divine, guess, presume, speculate; decipher, decodeSynonyms:
response