Putative Class Action

Putative Class Action — a lawsuit brought by one or more named plaintiffs on behalf of a potential group of similarly situated individuals (known as a class) who allegedly suffered a common claim. Lawsuits do not become class actions until an actual class has been certified by the court. Therefore, a putative class action means the class has not yet been certified by the court. If the court certifies the class, the lawsuit becomes a class action.