"the philosophy that the morality of an action is to be judged solely by its consequences," 1951, from consequential + -ism. Related: Consequentialist.
Entries linking to consequentialism
consequential adj.
1620s, "not direct or immediate," from consequent (Latin consequentia) + -al (1). Sense of "following as an effect or result" is from 1650s. Of persons, "self-important," 1758, from obsolete sense in reference to things, "important, pregnant with consequences" (1728). Related: Consequentially (c. 1600).
-ism
word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French -isme or directly from Latin -isma, -ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish -ismo, Dutch, German -ismus), from Greek -ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see -ity. The related Greek suffix -isma(t)- affects some forms.