reasonable person

noun

Legal Definition of reasonable person

: a fictional person with an ordinary degree of reason, prudence, care, foresight, or intelligence whose conduct, conclusion, or expectation in relation to a particular circumstance or fact is used as an objective standard by which to measure or determine something (as the existence of negligence) we have generally held that a reasonable person would not believe that he or she has been seized when an officer merely approaches that person in a public place and begins to ask questions — State v. Cripps, 533 N.W.2d 388 (1995)

— called also reasonable man

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Cite this Entry

“Reasonable person.” Merriam-Webster.com Legal Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/reasonable%20person. Accessed 25 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA