Damnum

/ˈdæmnəm/ noun

Definition

In Latin, and in some English legal contexts, loss or damage, especially in regard to property or financial harm.

Etymology

Latin noun meaning loss, harm, or damage. It appears in English legal documents and scholarship, particularly in the phrase 'damnum sine injuria' (loss without legal injury) and other classical legal terms.

Kelly Says

The phrase 'damnum sine injuria' blew medieval lawyers' minds — it meant you could actually suffer real financial loss but have no legal case because technically no law was broken, showing how English law inherited Rome's frustratingly precise definitions of harm.

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