Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In civil law, malicious or criminal intent; fraud; deceit: same as dole.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Law) Evil intent, embracing both malice and fraud. See culpa.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun law evil intent, embracing both malice and fraud

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin dolus ("deceit, trickery"); akin to Ancient Greek δόλος (dolos, "bait, ruse").

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Examples

  • He was the first to find fault with the use of certain words common at the time, such as dolus for dolor, effloriet for florebit, ossum for os.

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 9: Laprade-Mass Liturgy 1840-1916 1913

  • But for legal principles and terms of art it can be useful to use Latin when faced with the challenge of bridging a gap between two legal systems and/or languages. “volenti non fit injuria”, the distinction between “culpa” and “dolus”, etc.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Is Judge Sotomayor a “Closet Sovereigntist”? 2009

  • Returning to the state secrets doctrine, I would suggest it should matter whether the plaintiff alleges the government caused him harm through culpa or through dolus.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Ninth Circuit State Secrets Case: 2007

  • There was nothing resembling the present popularity of a treatment which gives generals so immense a preponderance over particulars — somewhat to the neglect of the old saying about the snare that lies hidden in generals, many persons being tolerably indifferent about the dolus so long as they can make sure of the latet.

    Voltaire 2007

  • It was inconsistent with the finding by the trial judge that the men were guilty of murder on the basis of "dolus eventualis".

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1999

  • Kok's not guilty plea was rejected by Du Plessis, who said that Kok had "exceeded the bounds of self-defence, and had the intention of means of ` dolus eventualis 'to shoot Mr Steenkamp".

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1998

  • Meiring and Andre Visser were correctly convicted for the murders and attempted murders on the basis of "dolus eventualis".

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • It stood firm that those four were guilty of "dolus eventualis" on the murders and attempted murders.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • Harms, said that the trial court had found that even if Matthews, van der Schyff, Badenhorst and Ettiene Visser had not acted with direct intent, they were nevertheless guilty of the four murders and six attempted murders on the basis of "dolus eventualis" (that death could eventuate).

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

  • The applicant admits intention in the form of dolus eventuallis.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1997

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