moral certainty

moral certainty
mor·al cer·tain·ty n: a state of subjective certainty leaving no real doubt about a matter (as a defendant's guilt): certainty beyond a reasonable doubt

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

moral certainty
index certitude

Burton's Legal Thesaurus. . 2006


moral certainty
n.
Certainty about something that is beyond a reasonable doubt but not quite absolute; enough certainty about an issue that a reasonable man or woman of sound mind would feel justified in acting on the assumption that it is, in fact, the case.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


moral certainty
In a criminal trial, the reasonable belief (but short of absolute certainty) of the trier of the fact (the jury or judge sitting without a jury) that the evidence shows the defendant is guilty. Moral certainty is another way of saying "beyond a reasonable doubt." Because there is no exact measure of moral certainty, it is always somewhat subjective and based on the reasonable opinions of the judge and/or jury. (See also: reasonable doubt)
Category: Criminal Law
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


moral certainty
n. High level of conviction that causes one to act in accordance therewith; beyond a reasonable doubt.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.

moral certainty
n.
   in a criminal trial, the reasonable belief (but falling short of absolute certainty) of the trier of the fact (jury or judge sitting without a jury) that the evidence shows the defendant is guilty. Moral certainty is another way of saying "beyond a reasonable doubt." Since there is no exact measure of certainty it is always somewhat subjective and based on "reasonable" opinions of judge and/or jury.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Moral certainty — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral certainty — is a concept of intuitive probability. It means a very high degree of probability, sufficient for action, but short of absolute or mathematical certainty. The concept stems from a statement in Aristotle s Nicomachean Ethics that one must be… …   Wikipedia

  • moral certainty — noun certainty based on an inner conviction she believed in the importance of moral absolutes and moral certainty the prosecutor had a moral certainty that the prisoner was guilty • Hypernyms: ↑certainty, ↑sure thing, ↑foregone conclusion …   Useful english dictionary

  • moral certainty — See proof to a moral certainty …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • Moral — Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral agent — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral insanity — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral philosophy — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral play — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Moral sense — Moral Mor al, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.] 1. Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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