scienter

American  

[sahy-en-ter] / saɪˈɛn tər /

noun

Law.

1. a mental state in which one has knowledge that one’s action, statement, etc., is wrong, deceptive, or illegal: often used as a standard of guilt.

   The court found that the company had the requisite scienter for securities fraud.

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adverb

Law.

1. knowingly or deliberately.

   His wife’s statements were made scienter.

scienter British  

/ saɪˈɛntə /

adverb

1. law knowingly; wilfully

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Etymology

Origin of scienter

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin scienter “knowingly, consciously, skillfully, expertly,” from scient- (stem of sciēns ); see origin at science

Example Sentences

He said it is are that class action plaintiffs get summary judgment on falsity and scienter before going to a jury trial, scheduled in January.

From Reuters • May 11, 2022

Realistically, though, legislators typically will not excuse defendants who have sufficiently bad scienter.

From Forbes • Apr. 10, 2013

The SEC responded that Goldman had acted with scienter, or intent to commit securities fraud.

From BusinessWeek • Nov. 29, 2011

In legal circles, this theory sometimes is called collective scienter.

From BusinessWeek • Feb. 10, 2011

So worthy Saint Benedict, piously burning With the holiest zeal against secular learning, Nesciensque scienter, as writers express it, Indoctusque sapienter � Rom� recessit.

From Poems of James Russell Lowell With biographical sketch by Nathan Haskell Dole by Lowell, James Russell