What is "negligent entrustment"

n. (context legal English) A tort cause of action that arises where a party is injured because the other party entrusted a dangerous instrumentality (such as a vehicle or a weapon) to a person whom the other party knew or reasonably should have known should not be trusted with that instrumentality.

Negligent entrustment is a cause of action in tort law that arises where one party (the entrustor) is held liable for negligence because they negligently provided another party (the entrustee) with a dangerous instrumentality, and the entrusted party caused injury to a third party with that instrumentality. The cause of action most frequently arises where one person allows another to drive their automobile.