Meanings
- The import of a thing or situation is obvious.
Synonyms: clear cut, cut and dried, open and shut, open and shut case
- A maxim where the very improbable facts of an accident imply the negligence of the defendant. It effectively shifts the burden of proof to the defendant.
Res ipsa loquitur was frequently applied in cases involving foreign bodies in foodstuffs.
2005, Vivienne Harpwood, Modern Tort Law, 6th edition, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 1531 more example
The court in that case established three criteria that must be shown for res ipsa loquitur to apply: The injury must be the kind that ordinarily doesn't occur in the absence of some type of negligence.
2004, Nurse's Legal Handbook, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, →ISBN, page 160
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseThe import of a thing or situation is obvious.
Origin
- Latinrēs ipsa loquitur“the thing speaks for itself”
- Englishres ipsa loquitur
Unadapted borrowing from Latin rēs ipsa loquitur (“the thing speaks for itself”, literally “the thing itself speaks”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish la cosa habla por sí misma
- la cosa habla por sí mismamaxim where improbable facts imply negligence
Swedish saken talar för sig själv
- saken talar för sig självmaxim where improbable facts imply negligence
Cite this entry
res ipsa loquitur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20ipsa%20loquitur
“res ipsa loquitur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20ipsa%20loquitur. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “res ipsa loquitur,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20ipsa%20loquitur.
Source: res ipsa loquitur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.