probabilism

1. 1.

   a Roman Catholic system of casuistry that when expert opinions differ an actor can follow any solidly probable opinion that he wishes even though some different opinion might be more probable

   Broadercasuistry
2. 2.

   (philosophy) the doctrine that (since certainty is unattainable) probability is a sufficient basis for belief and action

   Broaderphilosophical doctrine

   philosophy

Other forms of probabilism

plural

probabilisms·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about probabilism

What does probabilism mean?

probabilism means "a Roman Catholic system of casuistry that when expert opinions differ an actor can follow any solidly probable opinion that he wishes even though some different opinion might be more probable". That is the primary sense; the word has 2 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in probabilism?

probabilism has 4 syllables: pro-ba-bi-lism. The stress falls on "ba".

Is probabilism a common word?

probabilism is banded "Uncommon" — turns up in careful writing rather than conversation. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.