actus reus

British

/ ˈæktəs ˈreɪəs /

noun

law a criminal action regarded as a constituent element of a crime, as compared with the state of mind of the perpetrator Compare mens rea

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of actus reus

Latin, literally: guilty act

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wrongdoing generally requires two elements: a guilty act, actus reus, and a guilty mind, mens rea.

From New York Times

But Shivers' lawyers argued that it was legally impossible for him to be convicted of murder because there was no actus reus, or criminal act, prior to the murder.

From BBC

But Shivers' lawyers argued that it was legally impossible for him to he convicted of murder because there was no actus reus, or criminal act, prior to the murder.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023