What characterizes an intentional tort?

An intentional tort is characterized by the fact that the act is intentional. This means the individual committing the tort deliberately engages in conduct that they know will likely cause harm or injury to another person or their property. The intention behind the action sets intentional torts apart from other types of torts, such as negligence, where the harm results from a failure to act with reasonable care rather than from a deliberate choice to cause harm.

In contrast, torts that involve recklessness or strict liability do not inherently require that the act was intentional; they focus instead on the degree of care taken or the nature of the legislative framework concerning liability. Therefore, the defining characteristic of an intentional tort remains the volitional aspect—where the outcome is a direct result of the individual's conscious decision to act.