noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The ethical study of morals, duties and rights with an approach that focuses consequences of a particular action or cause. countable, uncountable
2. 2
   The belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment about an action. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right action is one that produces a good outcome, or consequence. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

deontology

Etymology

From consequential + -ism, coined by British analytic philosopher G. E. M. Anscombe in 1958.

Related phrases

rule utilitarianism

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.