corpus delicti
noun /ˌkɔːpəs dɪˈlɪktaɪ/
/ˌkɔːrpəs dɪˈlɪktaɪ/
[singular] (law)- the circumstances in which a law is broken, and the facts relating to the case
- evidence that can be seen, for example a dead body
Word OriginLatin, literally ‘body of offence’.