Tort

Tort is a legal term in common law jurisdictions that means a civil wrong, and can be a criminal wrong, that is recognized by law as grounds for a lawsuit. Its equivalent in civil law jurisdictions is delict. It is part of the law of obligations but unlike voluntarily assumed obligations on the parties created through a contract, the duties imposed under tort law are mandatory for all citizens in that jurisdiction. To behave 'tortiously' is to harm another's body, property, or legal rights, or to breach a duty owed under statutory law.