Consequentiality

/ˌkɒnsɪkwɛnʃiˈælɪti/ noun

Definition

The quality of being important, significant, or having considerable consequences; the state of mattering a great deal.

Etymology

From Latin 'consequentialis' (relating to consequences) plus the abstract noun suffix '-ity.' Developed in English philosophical writing to capture the idea that some things matter more than others because of their outcomes.

Kelly Says

This word exploded in popularity in 20th-century philosophy when 'consequentialism' emerged as an ethical theory—the idea that an action's consequentiality (its outcomes) determine whether it's morally right.

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