What term refers to the illegal touching of another person?

The term that specifically refers to the illegal touching of another person is battery. In legal terms, battery is defined as the actual act of physically touching or striking someone in a harmful or offensive manner without their consent. This act can involve physical force, which can range from minor to severe, and it does not necessarily need to cause injury for it to be considered battery.

Understanding battery within the context of medical practice is important, as healthcare professionals must always obtain informed consent before performing any physical examinations or procedures on patients. Failing to obtain such consent could result in legal consequences for the medical assistant or practitioner involved.

In contrast, assault is typically understood as the threat or attempt to cause harm or offensive contact, creating a reasonable fear in another person of such harm without necessarily resulting in any physical contact. Negligence relates to a failure to act with the care that a reasonable person would exercise, leading to another party's injury. Infliction refers broadly to causing someone to experience something negative, such as emotional distress, but does not specifically pertain to illegal touching. Thus, battery is the most accurate term in this context.