Legal Definitions - distractio

Term: distractio
Definition: Distractio is a legal term that means to separate or divide something into parts. It can also refer to the sale of something, like when a creditor sells a pledge. Example: A man took out a loan and used his car as collateral. When he couldn't pay back the loan, the creditor had the right to sell the car in a distractio. The car was separated from the man's ownership and sold to someone else. This example illustrates distractio because the creditor separated the car from the man's ownership and sold it to someone else. This is a form of alienation or sale, which is a common use of distractio in Roman law.