# mens rea

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌmɛnz ˈɹiːə/

## Definitions
1. A reactive mind, a conscious knowing by the individual that an act was committed, either by themselves or by another.
2. A guilty mind, the conscious knowing of a perpetrator while committing an act that the act is illicit.

## Etymology
From Latin mēns + reus (literally “guilty mind”), from the English common law precept Actus non facit reum nisi mens rea sit ("The act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty").

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mens-rea