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Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary

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rape
The crime of having sexual intercourse with another person without consent. Common law defined rape as unlawful intercourse by a man against a woman who is not his wife by force or threat and against her will. However, modernly, states have broadened the definition so that marriage, gender, and force are not relevant -- lack of consent is the crucial element. Statutory rape occurs when the victim is under the legal age of consent even if the intercourse is consensual.
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