Definition of "assumpsit" [as•sump•sit]

• An agreement or promise made orally or in writing not under seal; a contract. (noun)
• A legal action to enforce or recover damages for a breach of such an agreement. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Yesterday's term was assumpsit, which is defined as:"
• "But this does not belong to the class of cases to be considered, for the problem before us is to trace the origin of assumpsit, which is an action of contract."
• "Sir John laid great stress upon the erroneous manner in which the action had been laid, and contended that as the English form of 'assumpsit' had been taken, in order to get both debt and damages, instead of a single action of damages being brought, all the consequences of the form adopted must be taken by the plaintiff, who, not having proved _damages_, or even stated them, must be held by the court to have made out no case, and be cast accordingly."