assault

Physical attack of another person

Also known as crime of violence or threatened violence · statutory assault · criminal assault

Instance of: delict
, type of crime
Subclass of: violent crime
, physical violence
, attack
+2 more

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in criminal prosecution, civil liability, or both. Additionally, assault is a criminal act in which a person intentionally causes fear of physical harm or offensive contact to another person. Assault can be committed with or without a weapon and can range from physical violence to threats of violence. Assault is frequently referred to as an attempt to commit battery, which is the deliberate use of physical force against another person. The deliberate inflicting of fear, apprehension, or terror is another definition of assault that can be found in several legal systems. Depending on the severity of the offense, assault may result in a fine, imprisonment, or even death.

Overview

All data

36 statements · 14% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Said to be the same as: attempted murder
Different from: assault
battery
assault occasioning actual bodily harm

Data quality

statements

14%

externally sourced

Source last edited October 17, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). assault (Q365680). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/assault-Q365680