delict

de·lict   (dĭ-lĭkt')    n.  A legal offense; a misdemeanor. [Latin dēlictum, from neuter past participle of dēlinquere, to offend; see delinquent.]

Main Entry: de·lict
Pronunciation: di-'likt
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin delictum misdeed, offense, from neuter past participle of delinquere to commit (an offense), err
1 in the civil law of Louisiana : OFFENSE 2; especially : an offense other than breach of contract that creates an obligation for damages
NOTE: Delict is the civil law equivalent of the common-law tort.
2 : a criminal offense —de·lic·tu·al /di-'lik-ch&-w&l/ adjective

delict

in Roman law, an obligation to pay a penalty because a wrong had been committed. Not until the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD were public crimes separated from private crimes and removed to criminal courts; from that time, civil action remained the remedy for private abuses. In modern usage in countries that derive their law from the Roman, delict signifies a wrong in its civil aspects, corresponding to tort in Anglo-American law

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