Legal Definitions - wantonness

Wantonness, n. Conduct indicating that the actor is aware of the risks but indifferent to the results. Wantonness usually suggests a greater degree of culpability than recklessness, and it often connotes malice in criminal-law contexts.

• A driver who speeds through a red light, knowing that it is dangerous, is acting with wantonness.
• A person who throws a rock off a bridge onto a busy highway is acting with wantonness because they are aware of the risks and indifferent to the potential harm they could cause.

These examples illustrate how wantonness involves a deliberate disregard for the safety and well-being of others. It goes beyond recklessness, which may involve a lack of awareness of the risks involved. Wantonness implies that the person knows the risks but chooses to act in a way that could cause harm anyway.