mentes reae

A form of mens rea — A reactive mind, a conscious knowing by the individual that an act was committed, either by oneself or by another.

OriginLatin mentēs →
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Meanings

nounmentes reae pl
  1. pluralplural of mens rea

    “The old conception of mens rea,” says Professor Sayer, “must be discarded, and in its place must be substituted the new conception of mentes reae.”

    1932, Annual Survey of English Law (The London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London) Department of Law), page 312

Origin

  1. Latinmentēs
  2. Englishmentes reae

First attested in 1932; from the Latin mentēs (“minds”, the nominative plural form of mēns, “mind”) + reae (the feminine nominative plural form of reus, “guilty”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mentes reae. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mentes%20reae

MLA

“mentes reae.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mentes%20reae. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mentes reae,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mentes%20reae.

Source: mentes reae on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.