tort

UK: /tɔːt/ US: /tɔrt/ ,(tôrt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tort /tɔrt/   n. [countable]

1. Law a wrongful or illegal act resulting in injury to another's person, property, or reputation, for which the injured party may ask for money or some compensation.

See -tort-.
-tort-, root. 

1. -tort- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "twist.'' This meaning is found in such words as: contort, distort, extort, retort, tort, torte, tortilla, tortuous, torture.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tort  (tôrt), n. [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.

• Medieval Latin tortum wrong, injustice, noun, nominal use of neuter of Latin tortus twisted, crooked, dubious, past participle of torquēre to twist, wring
• Old French
• Middle English: injury, wrong 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tort / tɔːt/ noun

1. 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

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from Medieval Latin tortum, literally: something twisted, from Latin torquēre to twist