Legal terminology · Responsibility & conduct
res ipsa loquitur — The thing speaks for itself
res ipsa loquitur means the thing speaks for itself. Latin source words and legal terminology examples: Invoking res ipsa loquitur.
Meaning and source words
Meaning: The thing speaks for itself
- Latin: res ipsa loquitur
Examples and word parts
Invoking res ipsa loquitur
A doctrine allowing negligence to be inferred from the circumstances of an event when its legal conditions are satisfied.
Word parts: res (thing) + ipsa (itself) + loquitur (speaks)
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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
- respondeat superior — Let the superior answer
Liability under respondeat superior
- corpus delicti — The substance of an offense
Establishing the corpus delicti
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.