Words / R / Law

respondeat superior

noun/rɪˈspɒndiæt suːˈpɪəriɔːr/

C2CEFR level
90/100Rarity: very rare
TechnicalRegister

The doctrine holding an employer vicariously liable for torts an employee commits within the scope of employment.

Under respondeat superior the company answers for the driver's negligence because he was on a delivery run.

Similar: vicarious liability

Topic: Employment law in Legal English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

Get words like respondeat superior on your lock screen, a few a day, with review that makes them stick.

Download on the App Store Lexfall puts a new word on your home and lock screen through widgets, so you learn without opening an app. Free to download. After a free trial, a subscription unlocks every field. Built for iPhone, iOS 15.1 or later.
QR code that opens Lexfall on the App Store
On a computer?Scan with your iPhone camera.

More law words: Employment law