wex

Protectionism is an economic and trade policy that favors domestic producers, workers, or industries by limiting foreign competition or giving domestic activity an advantage.

Provisional remedies are court-ordered measures issued before final judgment to preserve the status quo or secure property or rights pending the outcome of liti

The prudent investor rule (also called the prudent person rule) requires fiduciaries, such as trustees, to invest and manage trust property and assets with the care, skill, and caution that a prudent investor would exerc

• trusts and estates

A pseudonym name is a fictitious designation, such as "Jane Roe" or "John Doe," used in place of the actual name of a party in a civil case to protect anonymity.

[Last reviewed in September of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team] 

A public auction is a sale open to all members of the public in which property is sold to the highest bidder.

Public corruption is a broad term for misuse of governmental office, authority, or public resources for private benefit or improper influence. It describes a category of conduct, and not one offense with uniform elements. Whether particular conduct is criminal depends on the governing federal, state, local, or foreign law, the status of the individuals involved, the intent, and the relationship between any benefit and official action.

Public express trusts are a type of trust established to benefit a charitable or public purpose. A public express trust is created by a grantor to donate money or other resources into a trust with a public interest, often to take advantage of the tax and regulatory benefits in using a public express trust.

• trusts and estates

In [wex: tort] law, a defense that can be used against charges of [wex: trespass] where a defendant interferes with a plaintiff's property in an emergency situation to protect the community or society as a whole from a greater harm that would have occurred if the defendant had not committed [wex: trespass]. Public necessity serves as an absolute defense, and a defendant is not liable for any damages caused by his trespass.  Contrast with [wex:private necessity].  See also [wex:necessity defense].  

• tort

See Public Utility

Purchase money mortgage refers to a mortgage that a buyer of real property gives to the seller as part of the transaction used to purchase that property. Instead of receiving the entire purchase price in cash at closing, the seller finances a portion of the sale by accepting a mortgage from the buyer.