casuistry

[ kazh-oo-uh-stree ]
/ ˈkæʒ u ə stri /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR casuistry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural cas·u·ist·ries.

specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, especially in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.
the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

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Origin of casuistry

First recorded in 1715–25; casuist + -ry

Words nearby casuistry

casualty insurance, casualwear, casuarina, casuist, casuistic, casuistry, casus belli, cat, cata-, catabaptist, catabasis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to casuistry

lie, chicanery, deception, evasion, spuriousness, delusion, trick, equivocation, sophistry, speciousness, sophism, fallacy, deceptiveness

Example sentences from the Web for casuistry

British Dictionary definitions for casuistry

casuistry
/ (ˈkæzjʊɪstrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

philosophy the resolution of particular moral dilemmas, esp those arising from conflicting general moral rules, by careful distinction of the cases to which these rules apply
reasoning that is specious, misleading, or oversubtle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012