Okuzeka
Law vocabulary · Rights & Obligations

Tort

Meaning in law, with examples

/tɔːt/nounCommon term

In law, tort means: A wrongful act, other than a breach of contract, that causes harm to another person and allows them to claim compensation in a civil court.

In Turkish: haksız fiil

How it is used

A core subject in common law systems ('tort law', 'the law of torts'). Typical torts are negligence, defamation, nuisance and trespass. Lawyers 'bring a claim in tort' and ask who is 'liable in tort'.

Example sentences

  1. The claim is based in tort, not in contract, because there was no agreement between the parties.

  2. Our first-year tort course focuses mostly on negligence.

Common collocations

  • tort law
  • law of torts
  • claim in tort
  • liable in tort
  • negligenceFailure to take the care that a reasonable person would take in the same situation, which causes harm or loss to someone else.
  • liabilityLegal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay for harm, loss or debts; in accounting, also an amount that a company owes.
  • damagesMoney 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.
  • contractAn agreement between two or more parties that the law will enforce, setting out what each side must do or give.

More terms: Rights & Obligations

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