Standard Lemma guide

casuistic

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌkæzjuˈɪstɪk/
  • /ˌkæʒuˈɪstɪk/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or related to casuistry, attempting to solve moral dilemmas by application of general rules.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Similar to the arguments of casuists, particularly (figurative, derogatory) overly subtle, hair-splitting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1855, Sir Richard Burton, Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah These subjects have exercised not a little the casuistic talents of the Arab doctors: a folio volume might be filled with differences of opinion on the subject, "Is a blind man sound?"

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

of or relating to the use of ethical principles to resolve moral problems

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: casuistical

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of or relating to or practicing casuistry

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • overly subtle casuistic reasoning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: casuistical

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English casuist Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English casuistic From casuist + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Asturian: casuísticu — relating to casuistry
  • Belarusian: казуісты́чны (kazuistýčny) — relating to casuistry
  • Catalan: casuístic — relating to casuistry
  • Finnish: kasuistinen — relating to casuistry
  • German: kasuistisch — relating to casuistry
  • Greek: καζουιστικός (kazouistikós) — relating to casuistry
  • Hungarian: kazuisztikus — relating to casuistry
  • Latvian: kazuistisks — relating to casuistry
  • Polish: kazuistyczny — relating to casuistry
  • Portuguese: casuístico — relating to casuistry
  • Russian: казуисти́ческий (kazuistíčeskij) — relating to casuistry
  • Spanish: casuístico — relating to casuistry
  • Ukrainian: казуїсти́чний (kazujistýčnyj) — relating to casuistry
  • Ukrainian: казуїсти́чний (kazujistýčnyj) — overly subtle, hair-splitting