Final answer:
The first formal pleading filed by the defendant is known as the 'answer,' not the 'reply,' which is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the first pleading filed by the defendant in a lawsuit is called the reply is false. In legal proceedings, the first formal response by the defendant is known as the answer. In the answer, the defendant will address each allegation made by the plaintiff in the complaint, either admitting, denying, or claiming insufficient knowledge to admit or deny each assertion. The purpose of the answer is to establish the grounds for the defense and to challenge the claims being presented by the plaintiff. The reply, on the other hand, typically refers to a subsequent pleading that may be filed by the plaintiff in response to the defendant's counterclaims, if any are made in the answer.