tort

[tawrt]

noun

Law.

1. a wrongful act, not including a breach of contract or trust, that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation.

tort

/ tɔːt /

noun

1. law a civil wrong arising from an act or failure to act, independently of any contract, for which an action for personal injury or property damages may be brought

Word History and Origins

Origin of tort¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: “injury, wrong,” from Old French, from Medieval Latin tortum “wrong, injustice,” noun use of neuter of Latin tortus “twisted, crooked, dubious,” past participle of torquēre “to twist, wring”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tort¹

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin tortum, literally: something twisted, from Latin torquēre to twist

Example Sentences

His teaching and research areas include torts, environmental law, climate change, products liability, and risk regulation.

From Salon

Last week, 10 plan policyholders in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones filed a tort claim against the plan, accusing it of failing to investigate or properly compensate for smoke damages.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s the first mass tort case against the plan that has arisen out of the Jan. 7 fires, though the insurer has faced litigation in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California over smoke damage claims.

From Los Angeles Times

Citibank has been the subject of multiple lawsuits since it reached the settlement with the CFPB, including several proposed class-action cases in federal court and mass tort cases in state court involving hundreds of customers.

From Los Angeles Times

A judge later greatly reduced the award, but the McDonald’s case was frequently cited in campaigns for limits on tort awards.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abuse 
• bias 
• blunder 
• crime 
• error 
• evil 
• grievance 
• harm 
• inequity 
• injustice 
• insult 
• misdeed 
• mistake 
• prejudice 
• slight 
• transgression 
• violation 
• wrongdoing