| word | corpus delicti |
|---|---|
| definition | (1) The substantial and basic fact or facts necessary to prove that a crime has been committed. (2) The material substance, such as the murdered body, on which a crime has been committed. |
| eg_sentence | The police believed they had solved the crime, but couldn't prove their case without the corpus delicti. |
| explanation | Corpus delicti literally means “body of the crime” in Latin. In its original sense, the body in question refers not to a corpse but to the body of essential facts that, taken together, prove that a crime has been committed. In popular usage, corpus delicti also refers to the actual physical object upon which a crime has been committed. In a case of arson, it would be a ruined building; in a murder case, the victim's corpse |
| IPA | ˈkɔrpəs delicti* |
Tags: mwvb::unit:5, mwvb::unit:5:word, mwvb::word, mwvb::word-cloze, mwvb::word-reverse, obsidian_to_anki
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