blameworthiness.

The extent to which conduct or an agent merits blame in light of the relevant choices, knowledge and circumstances.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• moral blameworthiness
• degree of blameworthiness

On the page

Moral blameworthiness was assessed through the choices available rather than the outcome alone.

The degree of blameworthiness depended on what the person could reasonably have known.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: responsibility analysis, evidence qualification, ethical distinction, institutional judgment. Disciplines: academic writing, ethics, legal-administrative reasoning. Commonness: uncommon.