Corpus-delicti definition

dĭ-lĭktī
(law) The corroborating evidence that shows that a crime has been committed, other than a confession or an alleged accomplice's statement.
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A corpse.
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The facts constituting or proving a crime; material substance or foundation of a crime: the corpus delicti in a murder case is not just the body of the victim, but the fact that the victim has been murdered.
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The body of the crime. The objective evidence that there has been an injury (physical or otherwise) or loss and that it was caused by the criminal act of some person or thing.
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(law) The evidence that a crime has occurred.
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(loosely) The body of the victim in a murder case.
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
corpus-delicti
Plural:
corpora delicti

Origin of corpus-delicti

  • New Latin corpus dēlictī Latin corpus body, collection of facts Latin dēlictī genitive of dēlictum crime

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From New Latin, from Latin corpus (“body”) dēlictī (“of crime”).

    From Wiktionary