: a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction

Did you know?

Tort came into English straight from French many centuries ago, and it still looks a little odd. Its root meaning of "twisted" (as opposed to "straight") obviously came to mean "wrong" (as opposed to "right"). Every first-year law student takes a course in the important subject of torts. Torts include all the so-called "product-liability" cases, against manufacturers of cars, household products, children's toys, and so on. They also cover dog bites, slander and libel, and a huge variety of other very personal cases of injury, both mental and physical—Torts class is never dull. If you're sued for a tort and lose, you usually have to pay "damages"—that is, a sum of money—to the person who you wronged.

Examples of tort in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In tort law, both sides in a contract are granted what’s called consideration — a direct benefit from the agreement. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024 Victims like Swift can also theoretically turn to more traditional existing legal remedies to fight back, including copyright law, likeness rights, and torts like invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024 Human rights and civil liberties law, competition law, consumer rights law, intellectual property, defamation, tort, employment law, and a plethora of other fields will be engaged to tackle the real-life harms already being caused by existing technology, including AI. Susie Alegre, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2024 The change,which leans on concepts common in tort law, could address some of the concerns Freeman raised. Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024 Why not hit protesters who break the law and keep Americans from getting to their destination with a tort liability suit for false imprisonment? The Editorial Board, WSJ, 28 Dec. 2023 The deal announced Tuesday resolves one of the largest mass torts in U.S. history. Eli Tan, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 If Purdue wins, and the Sackler family members get to keep their release as is, expect bankruptcy courts to take over more and more mass tort cases. Libby Lewis, The New Republic, 3 Oct. 2023 The laws of New York and California, like most states, recognize the tort. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, injury, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin tortum, from Latin, neuter of tortus twisted, from past participle of torquēre

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tort was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near tort

Cite this Entry

“Tort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tort. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

tort

noun
: a wrongful act other than a breach of contract that injures another and for which the law imposes civil liability : a violation of a duty (as to exercise due care) imposed by law as distinguished from contract for which damages or declaratory relief (as an injunction) may be obtained
also : a cause of action based on such an act
the court declined to recognize the tort National Law Journal
cannot sue in tort
compare crime, delict
Etymology

Anglo-French, wrongful or illegal act, from Old French, injury, from Medieval Latin tortum, from Latin, neuter of tortus twisted, from past participle of torquēre to twist

More from Merriam-Webster on tort

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!