qui tam

US/kwiː ˈtæm/US/kwaɪ ˈtæm/

noun

A writ whereby a private individual who assists a prosecution can receive all or part of any penalty imposed.

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Meanings

nounqui tam (uncountable)
  1. uncountablelawA writ whereby a private individual who assists a prosecution can receive all or part of any penalty imposed.
  2. uncountablelawAn action in which a private party sues on behalf of the state.
adjectivequi tam (not comparable)
  1. not comparableRelating to or constituting a qui tam.

Origin

Latin qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, "[he] who sues in this matter for the king as [well as] for himself".

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Cite this entry
APA

qui tam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qui%20tam

MLA

“qui tam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qui%20tam. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “qui tam,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/qui%20tam.

Source: qui tam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.