noun
tort
tawt
noun
1
In law, a wrongful act (other than breaking a contract) that harms someone and can be addressed through a civil lawsuit.
"Negligence is one of the most common types of tort."
"The company was sued for the tort of trespass."
How to Use Tort
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA legal term for a civil wrong that lets the injured party sue for damages.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "torte" (a rich cake) — they sound similar but have nothing to do with each other.
Easily confused with
torte
Common pairings
law of tort
tort claim
commit a tort
Word Forms
more tort comparative, torter comparative, torts plural, most tort superlative, tortest superlative
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Negligence is one of the most common types of _____.
Etymology
From Old French tort, "wrong," ultimately from Latin tortus, "twisted" — the same root gives us "torture" and "distort."