What action does 'assault' specifically refer to?

Assault specifically refers to the act of threatening to harm someone, creating a reasonable apprehension of immediate harm or a feeling of fear in that person. This legal concept does not necessarily involve actual physical contact; rather, it focuses on the intention to instill fear or threaten someone with potential harm. For instance, if an individual raises a fist and threatens to hit another person, that can constitute assault, as it implies an imminent threat.

In legal terms, assault emphasizes the importance of the victim's perception; it's about the fear or anxiety generated by the threat rather than the execution of the harm itself. This is distinct from actions that involve unlawful touching, which would be categorized as battery. Unlike battery, assault does not require actual physical harm or injury to occur; the mere threat is sufficient for the act to be classified as assault, thereby aligning with the focus of this question on the specific nature of assault.