Standard Lemma guide

consequentialism

noun · 2 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒn(t)sɪˈkwɛnʃəlɪzəm/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkɒn(t)səˈkwɛnʃəlɪzəm/
  • General-American: /ˌkɑn(t)sɪˈkwɛnʃəlɪzəm/
  • General-American: /ˌkɑn(t)səˈkwɛnʃəlɪzəm/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The ethical study of morals, duties and rights with an approach that focuses consequences of a particular action or cause.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: ethics, human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: ethics, human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 結果主義 /结果主义 — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Czech: konsekvencialismus — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Finnish: seurausetiikka — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • French: conséquentialisme — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • German: Konsequentialismus — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Greek: συνεπειοκρατία (synepeiokratía) — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Hindi: परिणामवाद (pariṇāmvād) — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Hungarian: konzekvencializmus — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Hungarian: konszekvencializmus — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Hungarian: következményetika — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Icelandic: leikslokasiðfræði — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Italian: consequenzialismo — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Polish: konsekwencjalizm — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Portuguese: consequencialismo — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Russian: консеквенциали́зм (konsekvencialízm) — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Spanish: consecuencialismo — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Turkish: sonuççuluk — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Ukrainian: консеквенціалізм (konsekvencializm) — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment
  • Vietnamese: hệ quả luận — belief that consequences form the basis for any valid moral judgment