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# tort

noun (a tort, torts) — law

«tort» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (law) A tort is a wrong done to someone, such as hurting them through carelessness or damaging their property, for which they can sue in a civil court for money (damages), even though it may not be a crime. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#m1)
2. It is not the same as «torte», a rich cake, or «taut», which means tight. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#m2)

### In the lessons

In lessons about adult life and the law, it explains that if someone's carelessness hurts you (for example a shop leaves a wet floor with no sign and you fall), you may claim compensation; this is called negligence, a kind of tort. Phrases: «tort law», «the law of torts», «sue for a tort».

### Examples

- Negligence is a tort, like when a careless driver hits a parked car. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x1)
- Tort law decides who must pay when someone is harmed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x2)
- Trespassing on land can be a tort. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x3)
- A lawyer explained that the tort case was about a dog bite. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x4)
- In a tort case, the winner usually gets money, not a prison sentence for the other side. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x5)
- Spreading lies that harm someone's name can be a tort called defamation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/#x6)

### Note

Countable: a tort, torts. Formal legal word. A crime is punished by the state; a tort is a wrong for which the hurt person sues. Some acts can be both. Do not confuse with «torte» (a cake, from German) or «taught».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tort» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tort/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tort» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tort.html) on Mova free.