tort
TORT
/tɔːrt/
A civil wrong or injury, other than a breach of contract, for which the court will provide a remedy in the form of action for damages.
Covers personal injuries, defamation, trespass, and negligence; distinct from criminal law and contract disputes.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from Anglo-French tort ('wrong, injustice') and Latin tortum, neuter past participle of torquere ('to twist'). In legal theory, a tort is literally a 'twisted' act—a departure from straight, lawful, and honorable conduct.
Word relationships
- civil wrong: A plain English synonym for tort describing non-criminal private legal injury.
- grievance: A general cause for complaint, not necessarily a legally actionable wrong.
- crime: A public wrong prosecuted by the state rather than a private civil wrong.
Commonly confused with
- torte: A torte is a rich, dense cake; a tort is a civil legal wrong.
Word family
- tortious (adjective): Constituting or involving a tort or civil wrong.
- tortfeasor (noun): A person who commits a tort.
Collocations
- tort law
- intentional tort
- tort claim
- tort liability
- tort reform
Example sentences
- "In legal studies, tort law governs civil claims arising from non-contractual injuries caused by deliberate or negligent acts." Legal education treatise
- "The company faced an intentional tort claim after allegations surfaced that executives spied on competitors." Corporate liability assessment
Memory hook
A tort is a TWISTED behavior that causes legal harm. A twisted civil wrong.
When not to use
Do not confuse with a culinary 'torte' (a rich cake) or use for criminal offenses like murder.
Fun facts
- Words like 'distort', 'retort', and 'torture' all stem from the exact same Latin root torquere (to twist).
Related words
Explore more words
negligence, Breach, restitution, infringement, libel, malice
Also appears in
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