Contract - An agreement between two or more people that creates an obligation to do or not to do a particular thing.⏎
Contingent claim - A claim that may be owed by the debtor under certain circumstances, e.g., where the debtor is a cosigner on another person's loan and that person fails to pay.⏎
Damages - Money that a defendant pays a plaintiff in a civil case if the plaintiff has won. Damages may be compensatory (for loss or injury) or punitive (to punish and deter future misconduct).⏎
Complaint - A written statement that begins a civil lawsuit, in which the plaintiff details the claims against the defendant.⏎
Defendant - In a civil case, the person or organization against whom the plaintiff brings suit; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.⏎