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
日本の民事訴訟において用いられる答弁書（とうべんしょ）とは、訴状記載の請求の趣旨に対する答弁や訴状記載の事実に対する認否を記載した書面である（民訴規則80条1項）。