Tort Definition
tôrt
torts, tortest
noun
torts
A wrong that is committed by someone who is legally obligated to provide a certain amount of carefulness in behavior to another and that causes injury to that person, who may seek compensation in a civil suit for damages.
American Heritage
A wrongful act, injury, or damage (not involving a breach of contract), for which a civil action can be brought.
Webster's New World
A private or civil wrong for which a remedy may be sought, usually in the form of monetary damages; a breach of duty that exists under societal expectations regarding interaction among equals in a transaction, rather than arising from a specific contract.
Webster's New World Law
The branch of the legal system or legal code that deals with such wrongs.
Webster's New World Law
Synonyms:
suffix
To make something change its shape.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Tort
Noun
Singular:
tortPlural:
tortsAdjective
Base Form:
tortSuperlative:
tortestOrigin of Tort
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Middle English injury from Old French from Medieval Latin tortum from Latin neuter past participle of torquēre to twist terkw- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Old French tort, from Latin tortum, substantive use of the past participle of torqueō (“twist, turn"). Compare with torsion, torture
From Wiktionary
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From Old French tort, from Latin tortum, from tortus (“twisted").
From Wiktionary
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Dialectal variation of tart.
From Wiktionary
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