What is defined as unauthorized and harmful or offensive physical contact with another person?

The correct answer, battery, refers specifically to the act of making unauthorized and harmful or offensive physical contact with another person. In legal terms, battery involves an actual physical act, meaning that it can occur even if the person harmed did not foresee or expect the physical contact. It does not require the intent to harm but does necessitate that the contact is unwanted and results in some form of detriment to the victim.

Assault, on the other hand, involves the threat or attempt to make harmful contact, creating a sense of fear or apprehension in the victim, but does not necessarily include actual physical contact. Negligence refers to a failure to exercise reasonable care, which could lead to unintentional harm but is not characterized by intentional contact. False imprisonment involves the unlawful restriction of an individual’s freedom of movement, rather than physical contact itself. Thus, battery is distinct in that it directly addresses the act of harmful or offensive contact.