scienter

noun

sci·en·ter | \ sī-ˈen-tər \

Legal Definition of scienter

1 : knowledge of the nature of one's act or omission or of the nature of something in one's possession that is often a necessary element of an offense the scienter element constitutionally required for an obscenity statute — Wall Dist. v. Newport News, 323 S.E.2d 75 (1984) also : intent to engage in particular especially criminal conduct a few environmental statutes…do away altogether with the need to prove scienter…requiring no proof of criminal intent whatsoever — R. J. Kafin et al.

2 : a mental state in fraud (as securities fraud) that is characterized by an intent to deceive, manipulate, or defraud