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Synonyms

tort

American  
[tawrt] / tɔrt /

noun

Law.

  1. a wrongful act, not including a breach of contract or trust, that results in injury to another's person, property, reputation, or the like, and for which the injured party is entitled to compensation.

tort British  
/ tɔːt /

noun

  1. law a civil wrong arising from an act or failure to act, independently of any contract, for which an action for personal injury or property damages may be brought

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tort

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: “injury, wrong,” from Old French, from Medieval Latin tortum “wrong, injustice,” noun use of neuter of Latin tortus “twisted, crooked, dubious,” past participle of torquēre “to twist, wring”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"So while this settlement is necessary for the company today, we maintain our significant objections to the broken tort system that makes it necessary."

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

And the influential tort reform group Texans For Lawsuit Reform PAC added $550,000.

From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026

A mass tort is personal-injury litigation on steroids.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

The next month, Slater Slater Schulman ran more than 700 radio ads in Los Angeles seeking juvenile detention abuse claims, according to X Ante, a company that tracks mass tort advertisements.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

I was far more excited about the prospect of my brother taking his wedding vows, in other words, than I was about reviewing what constituted a tort.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.