Adequate cause is defined as a cause that would commonly produce what in a person of ordinary temper?

• A. A provocation that would provoke no reaction
• B. A minor annoyance
• C. Cause that would commonly produce anger, rage, resentment, or terror in a person of ordinary temper
• D. Something else

Answer: (C)

Adequate cause is about a trigger that would normally spark a strong emotional reaction in an average person. In the context of cases like voluntary manslaughter, the law recognizes that if someone acted in the heat of passion caused by such a trigger, their reaction can be viewed with diminished moral guilt. That triggering reaction is typically anger, rage, resentment, or terror. So the best choice is the one describing a cause that would commonly provoke those intense emotions in an ordinary temper. Provocation that would provoke no reaction or only a minor annoyance wouldn’t meet that standard, and a vague “something else” lacks the necessary emotional impact.