답변서는 민사소송에서 소장의 송달에 대해 이의가 있는 피고가 제출하는 첫 번째 소송서류이다.
The principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims