double effect

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: joule effect

Antonyms: joule effect

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|philosophy}} The situation where an otherwise [[legitimate]] act (for example, relieving a terminally ill patient's pain) may also cause an effect one would otherwise be obliged to avoid (e.g. sedation and a slightly shortened life).

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.