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Law vocabulary · Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

Damages

Meaning in law, with examples

/ˈdæmɪdʒɪz/nounCore term

In law, damages means: Money that a court orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss or harm caused by a breach of contract or another legal wrong.

In Turkish: tazminat, tazminat bedeli

How it is used

Always plural in this meaning. You 'claim', 'seek', 'award' or 'recover' damages. Types include compensatory damages, punitive damages (mainly in the US) and damages for loss of profit.

Example sentences

  1. The court awarded the claimant damages of 80,000 pounds for lost profits.

  2. Our client is seeking damages for the delay in delivery.

Common collocations

  • claim damages
  • award damages
  • punitive damages
  • damages for breach of contract
  • liable in damages
  • remedyThe way a court puts right a wrong or protects a right, for example by ordering payment of money, banning an action or requiring a contract to be performed.
  • liabilityLegal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay for harm, loss or debts; in accounting, also an amount that a company owes.
  • breachThe act of breaking a law, a contract term or a duty; also used as a verb meaning to break such a rule or promise.
  • tortA wrongful act, other than a breach of contract, that causes harm to another person and allows them to claim compensation in a civil court.
  • injunctionA court order that tells a person or company to stop doing something, or sometimes to do something, often made quickly to prevent serious harm.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Judgments, Appeals & Remedies

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.