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utilitarianism

 - 2 dictionary results

u⋅til⋅i⋅tar⋅i⋅an⋅ism

  [yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm]
Use utilitarianism in a Sentence
–noun
the ethical doctrine that virtue is based on utility, and that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons.
Origin:
1820–30; utilitarian + -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To utilitarianism
u·til·i·tar·i·an·ism   (yōō-tĭl'ĭ-târ'ē-ə-nĭz'əm)   
n.  

  1. The belief that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility.

  2. The ethical theory proposed by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill that all action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.

  3. The quality of being utilitarian: housing of bleak utilitarianism.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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