Examples of mens rea in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Criminal law has the concept of mens rea, guilty mind.
—
Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 13 July 2011
Imagine applying mens rea to the bloodiest tyrants of modern history.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 22 June 2022
Conservative jurisprudence tends to favor mens rea requirements for businesspeople charged with crimes.
—Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2022
In the law, this is the highest mens rea proof requirement.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 18 Aug. 2020
ANONYMOUS Wrongdoing generally requires two elements: a guilty act, actus reus, and a guilty mind, mens rea.
—Philip Galanes, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2018
Most significantly, the government contends that Lee had the necessary mens rea — the criminal-intent element — to commit the felony retention offense.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 17 Jan. 2018
Reimer said when asked about concerns that mens rea reform would help companies evade regulatory charges.
—Matt Ford, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2017
This time mens rea reform proponents have gone out of their way to enlist the support of left-leaning criminal-defense attorneys.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 26 Oct. 2017
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Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 13 July 2011
Imagine applying mens rea to the bloodiest tyrants of modern history.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 22 June 2022
Conservative jurisprudence tends to favor mens rea requirements for businesspeople charged with crimes.
—Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2022
In the law, this is the highest mens rea proof requirement.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 18 Aug. 2020
ANONYMOUS Wrongdoing generally requires two elements: a guilty act, actus reus, and a guilty mind, mens rea.
—Philip Galanes, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2018
Most significantly, the government contends that Lee had the necessary mens rea — the criminal-intent element — to commit the felony retention offense.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 17 Jan. 2018
Reimer said when asked about concerns that mens rea reform would help companies evade regulatory charges.
—Matt Ford, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2017
This time mens rea reform proponents have gone out of their way to enlist the support of left-leaning criminal-defense attorneys.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 26 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Mens rea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mens%20rea. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
mens rea
noun
plural mentes reae
ˈmen-ˌtēz-ˈrē-ˌē, ˈmen-ˌtās-ˈrā-ˌī
: a culpable mental state
especially
: one involving intent or knowledge and forming an element of a criminal offense
murder contains a mens rea element
compare actus reus
Etymology
New Latin, literally, guilty mind
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