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utilitarianism

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪəˌnɪzəm/

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(yo̅o̅ til′i târ′ē ə niz′əm)



WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
u•til•i•tar•i•an•ism  (yo̅o̅ til′i târ′ē ə niz′əm),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Philosophythe 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.
  • utilitarian + -ism 1820–30

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
utilitarianism /juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪəˌnɪzəm/ n
  1. the doctrine that the morally correct course of action consists in the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, in maximizing the total benefit resulting, without regard to the distribution of benefits and burdens
  2. the theory that the criterion of virtue is utility
'utilitarianism' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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