Legal Definitions - emptor

Emptor is a Latin term used in civil law to refer to a buyer or purchaser. It is the root of the more common legal phrase "caveat emptor," meaning "let the buyer beware."

Emptor is a Latin term used in legal contexts to refer to a buyer or purchaser. It designates the party in a transaction who is acquiring goods, services, or property.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of this term:

• When a family decides to purchase a new home, the individuals who are signing the mortgage documents and taking ownership of the property are considered the emptores in that real estate transaction.

  This illustrates the term because the family is the party acquiring the property, thus fulfilling the role of the buyer.

• A small business owner visits a wholesale supplier to buy a large quantity of office supplies for their company. In this commercial exchange, the business owner, as the party receiving and paying for the supplies, is the emptor.

  This example demonstrates that the business owner is the purchaser of the goods from the supplier.

• An individual browsing an online marketplace selects and pays for a new electronic gadget. The person making the payment and awaiting delivery of the item is the emptor in this e-commerce scenario.

  Here, the individual is the buyer of the electronic gadget through an online platform.