tort
/tɔːt
/noun Law
A wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to legal liability: public nuisance is a crime as well as a tort [mass noun]: the law of tort...
- Public nuisance and libel are also torts and tortious liability is more often pursued than criminal proceedings.
- The law of torts, or civil wrongs, is extensive and its boundaries are indistinct.
- The gist of the tort of misfeasance in public office is the deliberate abuse of power.
Origin
Middle English (in the general sense 'wrong, injury'): from Old French, from medieval Latin tortum 'wrong, injustice', neuter past participle of Latin torquere 'to twist'.