pactum

/paektam/

Civil law.

A pact. An agreement or convention without specific name, and without consideration, which, however, might, in its nature, produce a civil obligation.

@ nudum pactum

A bare or naked pact or agreement; a promise or undertaking made without any consideration for it, and therefore not enforceable.

+ nudum pactum

/n(y)uwdam paektam/

A voluntary promise, without any other consideration than mere goodwill, or natural affection. A naked pact; a bare agreement; a promise or undertaking made without any consideration for it.

Roman law.

Informal agreements not coming within any of the privileged classes. They could not be sued on. The term was sometimes used with a special and rather different meaning to express the rule that a contract without delivery will not pass property.

@

Roman law.

With some exceptions, those agreements that the law does not directly enforce, but which it recognizes only as a valid ground of defense, were called "pacta." Those agreements that are enforced, in other words, are supported by actions, are called "contractus." The exceptions are few, and belong to a late period