Delict
/dɪˈlɪkt/noun
A wrongful act or offense, especially one that gives rise to civil liability in some legal systems.
Did you know?Delict entered English through Scots and legal Latin, and in Roman law it referred to a private wrong—an early reminder that words for “offense” often began as words for acts that break social order.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deik-
“to show, point out”
Latin
Latin
delinquere
“to fail, be lacking, offend”
Late Latin
Latin
delictum
“a fault, offense, wrongdoing”
Medieval Latin
Latin
delictum
“a legal wrong or offense”
Scots / Early Modern English
English
delict
“a civil wrong or offense”
Explore more surprising origins