Legal terminology · Responsibility & conduct
corpus delicti — The substance of an offense
corpus delicti means the substance of an offense. Latin source words and legal terminology examples: Establishing the corpus delicti.
Meaning and source words
Meaning: The substance of an offense
- Latin: corpus delicti
Examples and word parts
Establishing the corpus delicti
Showing that a crime occurred; the phrase does not simply mean a person's physical body.
Word parts: corpus (body) + delicti (of the offense)
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Related responsibility & conduct terms
- mens rea — Required mental state
Proving mens rea
- actus reus — Prohibited conduct
The actus reus of an offense
- bona fide — In good faith
A bona fide transaction
- mala fide — In bad faith
A claim of mala fide conduct
- ultra vires — Beyond one's powers
An ultra vires act
- in loco parentis — In the place of a parent
Acting in loco parentis
- res ipsa loquitur — The thing speaks for itself
Invoking res ipsa loquitur
- respondeat superior — Let the superior answer
Liability under respondeat superior
Sources and usage
From the Word Radicals legal terminology collection. Source words and word parts are learning references; modern meanings can differ from their classical sources.