assumpsit

[ uh-suhmp-sit ]

noun

, Law.

1. a legal action for a breach of contract or promise not under seal.
2. an actionable promise.

assumpsit

/ əˈsʌmpsɪt /

noun

1. law (before 1875) an action to recover damages for breach of an express or implied contract or agreement that was not under seal

Word History and Origins

Origin of assumpsit¹

1605–15; < Latin: he has taken upon himself, he has undertaken

Word History and Origins

Origin of assumpsit¹

C17: from Latin, literally: he has undertaken, from assūmere to assume

Example Sentences

She would open her Harvard law class not by introducing herself but by calling on a student and asking what “assumpsit,” a legal term, means.

From Seattle Times

They include bigly, deplorable, irregardless, icon, assumpsit, faute de mieux, in omnia paratus, revenant and feckless.

From Seattle Times

He described how on his first day she asked him for the definition of assumpsit and he didn’t know.

From Washington Times

He described how on his first day she asked him for the definition of assumpsit and he didn’t know.

From Seattle Times

Paine pleaded non assumpsit, and, after gaining the case, paid Wilburn the money.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accusation
• action
• argument
• bill
• case
• claim
• dispute
• impeachment
• indictment
• litigation
• prosecution
• suit
• trial