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Glite Dictionary
tort-feasor

tort-feasor

9.9
A person who causes harm and must pay for it by law
  • noun
  • /ˈtɔrtˌfiːzər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : responsable del delito
  • The court found the tort-feasor liable for damages caused by his negligence.

Examples

  • Insurance companies often seek reimbursement from the tort-feasor responsible for an accident.

  • The tort-feasor was held liable for damages.

  • Each tort-feasor may be held jointly and severally liable in a civil lawsuit.

  • Many tort-feasors may not even realize their actions are wrongful.

  • The court found the tort-feasor liable for injuries caused during the accident.

  • In many cases, a tort-feasor can face significant penalties for their wrongful actions.

  • When a tort-feasor is identified, victims can pursue compensation for their losses.

Synonyms

culprit
vstort-feasor
101 4.6

Something, often a person, that causes a crime, mistake or problem

focuses on legal liability rather than general responsibility for a problem
committer
vstort-feasor
7.6

A person who breaks the law, for example by theft or fraud

is the one legally liable for the wrongful act

Surface Forms

tort-feasor singular
tort-feasors plural

Morphology

tort-feasor = tort + feasor (semi-transparent) = tort + feasor

Meaning is compositionally 'tort' (wrong) + 'feasor' (doer) = doer of a tort, but 'feasor' and 'tort' are specialized legal terms and the agent-form 'feasor' is not productive in general English.

Etymology

Tort-feasor comes from two parts: tort, an old word for 'wrong' or 'twist', and feasor, from a Latin word meaning 'to do'. So a tort-feasor is the 'doer of a wrong', which explains why it means a person who commits a tort.