assault and battery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumFormal, legal
Quick answer
What does “assault and battery” mean?
A criminal offense involving both the threat of immediate harm (assault) and the actual physical contact or harm (battery).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A criminal offense involving both the threat of immediate harm (assault) and the actual physical contact or harm (battery).
In legal contexts, it refers to the combination of two separate torts or crimes: an intentional act that causes reasonable apprehension of immediate harmful or offensive contact (assault) and the intentional, unauthorized, or offensive touching of another person (battery). In non-legal everyday speech, it's often used loosely to mean a severe physical attack.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The legal definitions and distinctions are largely the same in both US and UK common law traditions. However, in the UK, the term 'common assault' often encompasses what the US would separate as assault and battery. In everyday use, both use the phrase similarly.
Connotations
Strongly associated with the criminal justice system. Carries serious, violent implications.
Frequency
Much more common in legal and journalistic contexts than in casual conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “assault and battery” in a Sentence
He was charged with [assault and battery].The police arrested her for [assault and battery].The victim filed a complaint alleging [assault and battery].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “assault and battery” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The prosecution sought to prove he had committed assault and battery.
American English
- He was indicted for assault and battery.
adjective
British English
- He faced an assault-and-battery charge in magistrates' court.
American English
- The assault and battery statute varies by state.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in HR/legal contexts regarding workplace violence.
Academic
Common in law, criminology, sociology, and history papers.
Everyday
Used, but often imprecisely as a synonym for a serious fight. More likely in news reports.
Technical
Precise legal term of art with specific elements to be proven in court.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “assault and battery”
Strong
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “assault and battery”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “assault and battery”
- Using it to describe only a threat without contact. | Using it to describe only a hit without prior threat. | Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He assaulted and batteried me' is incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is traditionally two separate torts/crimes (assault and battery) that are frequently charged together as a single offense or phrase in legal proceedings.
Yes. If someone threatens you with a raised fist but does not actually hit you, that could be assault (creating apprehension) without battery (no contact).
Yes, spitting is typically considered a battery (offensive contact) and the act leading up to it may constitute an assault. It could be charged as such.
In non-legal language, people often use 'assault' to mean a physical attack. 'Assault and battery' sounds more formal and severe, emphasizing the completeness of the violent act.
A criminal offense involving both the threat of immediate harm (assault) and the actual physical contact or harm (battery).
Assault and battery is usually formal, legal in register.
Assault and battery: in British English it is pronounced /əˌsɔːlt ən ˈbætəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˌsɒlt ən ˈbætəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's not just an assault, it's assault and battery.”
- “He went from verbal abuse to assault and battery.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a soldier (assault) armed with a bat (battery). The assault is the charge/threat, the battery is hitting with the bat.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE LAW IS A PRECISE MACHINE: The phrase treats two related acts as a single, calibrated legal unit. VIOLENCE IS A COMMODITY: It packages a complex event into a chargeable, nameable entity.
Practice
Quiz
In precise legal terms, which element is necessary for 'battery' within 'assault and battery'?