fautive

Fautive is an adjective derived from the French faute, meaning fault or error. In English, fautive describes conduct or actors that are at fault or negligent. The term is rare outside specialized legal, philosophical, or translation contexts, and in ordinary writing speakers typically use negligent, culpable, or liable instead.

Etymology and usage: Fautive comes from the French faute and entered English through legal and scholarly texts. It is primarily used in formal or technical prose and is most common in comparative or historical discussions of liability regimes.

In law, fautive conduct refers to behavior that constitutes fault and can trigger liability under fault-based regimes. The opposite concepts include strict or no-fault liability. In this sense, a person who commits a fautive act may be described as at fault, negligent, or culpable, depending on the legal standard and jurisdiction. The term can appear as a modifier, such as “fautive conduct” or “fautive party,” though such usage is uncommon in contemporary practice.

Notes: Because fautive is specialized and infrequent, modern English writers generally prefer terms like negligent or culpable. It is more likely to be encountered in translations of French legal texts or in comparative law discussions than in everyday or even standard legal writing.

See also: fault, negligence, liability, culpability, fault-based liability, no-fault liability.