attractive nuisance

American  

noun

1. Law. a doctrine of tort law under which a person who creates or permits to exist on their land a dangerous condition attractive to children, as an unfenced swimming pool, is liable for their resulting injuries, even though the injured are trespassers.

2. a hazardous condition or object a person creates or permits to exist on their land that is attractive to children.

---

Etymology

Origin of attractive nuisance

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

"That way I have no attractive nuisance that would bring raccoons, foxes, opossum, bear, rats on to the farm."

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2022

You might say the Lerners had created an attractive nuisance in our backyards.

From Washington Post • Aug. 5, 2022

“Based on the number of no trespassing signs in many places the river today is more of an attractive nuisance than an asset,” city documents say.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 29, 2021

The poster did not ask about her risks of liability to strangers, which would raise the attractive nuisance issue.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2020

Police took this opportunity to seize the entire board and remove what they considered an attractive nuisance.

From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Sterling, Bruce