casuistically
9.9
To apply general moral rules to a specific case to decide right or wrong
- adverb
- /ˌkæʒuˈɪstɪkli/
- Formal
:
casuísticamente
- She approached the ethical dilemma casuistically, carefully weighing the general rules against the unique circumstances involved.
Examples
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The lawyer argued casuistically, applying legal principles to justify his client's actions in that specific case.
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In his analysis, the philosopher discussed the issue casuistically, focusing on how universal ethics can be interpreted for individual situations.
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Now, if you want to use a church that supports actual cannibalism as a basis for creating modern laws, you are not doing so out of respect for their beliefs, but casuistically.
Blog text (14)
Synonyms
moralistically
vscasuistically
1
7.8
In a way that judges things as right or wrong
applies general moral rules to specific cases to resolve dilemmas
How Case-Based
on an individual basis
7
4.4
- Formal
7
4.4
casuistically
- Formal
in principle
53
4.3
53
4.3
theoretically
119
6.0
119
6.0
generally
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
casuistically positive
Morphology
Etymology
The word casuistically comes from casus meaning 'case', and it originally described the way people look at each situation to find the right moral rule. So, to act casuistically is to handle a particular 'case' by applying general rules carefully.