The courts
answer
The defendant's formal written response to a complaint, admitting or denying each allegation and raising any defenses.
In full
An answer joins the issue: allegations admitted are settled, allegations denied become what the case is about, and affirmative defenses introduce reasons the defendant should win even if the plaintiff's facts hold. It may include counterclaims against the plaintiff. Failure to answer in time can result in a default judgment.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.