re·spon·de·at superior /ri-'spän-dē-ət-/ n [Medieval Latin, let the superior give answer]: a doctrine in tort law that makes a master liable for the wrong of a servant; specif: the doctrine making an employer or principal liable for the wrong of an employee or agent if it was committed within the scope of employment or agency
to recover...upon a theory of respondeat superior, it is incumbent upon plaintiff to prove that the collision occurred while the driver was within the scope of his employment — Perdue v. Mitchell, 373 So. 2d 650 (1979) compare scope of employment; vicarious liability at liability 2b
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.