Legal Definitions - male creditus

Definition: Male creditus (mal-ee kred-uh-tuhs) is a term from Law Latin that refers to a person who is in bad repute and untrusted.

Example: In medieval times, a person who was accused of a crime might be considered male creditus and therefore not believed even if they were telling the truth.

Explanation: The term male creditus was used in legal contexts to describe someone who had a bad reputation and was not trusted. This could be because they had a history of lying or because they were suspected of committing a crime. In either case, their testimony would not be considered reliable in court. The example illustrates how the term was used in medieval times to discredit someone who was accused of a crime.