“Quasi” comes from Latin and means “almost” or “resembling.” In English, it’s used to indicate similarity but not exactness. In legal terminology, the word “quasi” is often used to describe something that shares similarities with or imitates the legal characteristics of something else.
For example, a quasi-contract is an implied-in-law contract that helps a plaintiff recover a benefit that the defendant has received under unfair circumstances. Similarly, quasi-judicial refers to actions or decisions made by administrative agencies that are similar to judicial actions, involving legal rights and duties but are not entirely judicial in nature.
Quasi-criminal refers to actions or offenses that are not technically criminal but are treated as criminal for the purpose of punishment or regulation, such as some traffic violations or regulatory infractions.
Finally, quasi-property refers to rights or interests that resemble property rights but are not exactly the same, such as intellectual property rights or rights to use specific resources under specific conditions.
In all these contexts, the term “quasi” is used to indicate that the subject shares some characteristics or qualities with the fully defined legal concept but may not fit precisely within its definition.
