Nuissance

Nuissance, more commonly spelled nuisance in modern English, refers to something that causes inconvenience, annoyance, or harm. The term emphasizes the impact on a person’s enjoyment or use of property, though it can also relate to public welfare. Etymologically, nuisance comes from Old French nuisance, meaning harm or damage, with roots in Latin nocere, to harm.

In legal contexts, nuisance is a tort under common law designed to protect individuals’ rights to reasonable use and enjoyment of land. It is usually divided into private nuisance and public nuisance. Private nuisance involves substantial and unfair interference with the claimant’s private use or enjoyment of their land, such as loud noises, persistent odors, smoke, vibrations, or encroachments. Public nuisance affects the community at large, for example by blocking a public roadway or creating a danger to health or safety.

Typical remedies include damages to compensate for harm and injunctions to stop or limit the nuisance. In some cases, abatement—voluntary removal or remediation of the nuisance—may be pursued. The analysis often requires balancing the severity of the interference against the defendant’s rights and interests, with factors like location, duration, and practicability considered.

Notes: “nuissance” is a less common spelling; the standard English spelling is “nuisance.” Related concepts include nuisance per se, environmental nuisance, and nuisance abatement. See also private nuisance, public nuisance, and tort law.