Medical Ethics Vocabulary

noun freedom from external control or influence

• The employees were given more autonomy to make decisions on their projects.
• I like having the autonomy to choose my own schedule at work.
• I have total autonomy over what I do on the weekends.
• The artist's autonomy in creating her masterpiece was evident in every brushstroke.

noun an official or legal prohibition

verb to officially or legally prohibit

• The government decided to impose a ban on smoking in public places.
• They banned me from entering the club because I forgot my ID.
• I can't believe they banned me from the party for no reason!
• She felt like there was a ban on her happiness after the breakup.

noun the resolving of moral problems by the application of theoretical rules to particular instances

• The philosopher's argument was based on intricate casuistry, analyzing every possible moral implication.
• The lawyer's casuistry allowed him to find loopholes in the contract.
• I can't stand his casuistry, always finding ways to twist the truth.
• Her casuistry in navigating social situations made her seem like a master manipulator.

verb agreeing to something or giving permission

adjective describing someone who gives permission or agrees to something

• The research study required all participants to sign a form consenting to be part of the experiment.
• She only agreed to go on the trip after consenting to the itinerary.
• I'm not going to do it unless you're fully consenting, bro.
• By accepting the terms and conditions, you are essentially consenting to the company's data collection practices.

noun a finishing stroke or decisive event

preposition a French term meaning 'blow of mercy'

• The general delivered the coup de grace to the enemy forces, securing victory for his army.
• After hours of negotiation, the CEO finally delivered the coup de grace and closed the deal.
• The team scored the winning goal in the last minute, delivering the coup de grace to their opponents.
• The final blow struck by the prosecutor was the coup de grace that sealed the fate of the defendant.

noun a statement that denies responsibility or liability

verb not applicable

adjective not applicable

adverb not applicable

pronoun not applicable

preposition not applicable

conjunction not applicable

interjection not applicable

article not applicable

• The disclaimer at the bottom of the contract outlines the terms and conditions of the agreement.
• Make sure you read the disclaimer before clicking 'I agree' on the website.
• I always skip over the disclaimer when downloading apps - who has time for that?
• His constant use of disclaimers in conversation made it hard to trust anything he said.

adverb In a careful and prudent manner, without drawing attention to oneself.

• She discreetly handed him the envelope containing the confidential documents.
• He discreetly slipped the note into her hand during the meeting.
• Let's discreetly sneak out of the party before anyone notices.
• The artist discreetly incorporated hidden messages in his paintings for observant viewers to find.

verb present participle of the verb 'extenuate'

adjective serving to make a fault, offense, etc., appear less serious

• The judge took into consideration the extenuating circumstances before delivering the verdict.
• I know you were late because of extenuating circumstances, so don't worry about it.
• I had some extenuating stuff going on, so I couldn't make it to the party.
• Her smile was like an extenuating light in the darkness of his day.

adjective capable of making mistakes or being wrong

• It is important to acknowledge that humans are fallible beings and can make mistakes.
• Nobody's perfect, we're all fallible and prone to errors.
• Even the best of us mess up sometimes, we're all a bit fallible.
• His belief in his own infallibility was shattered when he realized he was fallible like everyone else.

noun the quality or state of being futile; ineffectiveness; uselessness

• The scientist's research proved the futility of trying to cure the disease with current methods.
• It's a waste of time to argue with him, it's like trying to teach a fish to climb a tree.
• Don't bother studying for that test, it's a total lost cause.
• Her attempts to change his mind were like trying to stop a speeding train with a feather.

adjective showing a lack of tact or consideration

• She avoided discussing indelicate topics in polite company.
• I can't believe he made such an indelicate comment at the dinner party.
• His joke was so indelicate, it made everyone uncomfortable.
• The way he handled the situation was indelicate, like a bull in a china shop.

adjective not capable of being educated or taught

• The psychologist determined that the child was ineducable due to severe intellectual disabilities.
• Some people believe that individuals with certain conditions are ineducable, but that's not always the case.
• Don't listen to those who say you're ineducable, you have the potential to learn and grow.
• His closed-mindedness made him seem ineducable when it came to accepting new ideas.

noun a controversial practice of ending a life in a painless manner

• The debate on mercy killing continues to be a contentious issue in medical ethics.
• Some people believe in mercy killing as a way to end suffering.
• Mercy killing is a hot topic in the news lately.
• In literature, mercy killing is often used as a symbol of compassion and release.

noun a person's closest living relative or relatives, especially their nearest blood relatives

• The hospital requires the contact information of the patient's next of kin.
• Make sure to put down your next of kin on the emergency contact form.
• Hey, do you know who my next of kin is in case of an emergency?
• In times of crisis, our closest friends become our chosen next of kin.

adjective causing a strong feeling of dislike or disgust; offensive or repulsive

• The idea of discrimination based on race is repugnant to our values as a society.
• I find his behavior towards others to be absolutely repugnant.
• That movie was so repugnant, I couldn't even finish watching it.
• The stench coming from the garbage can was so repugnant, it made me gag.

noun the quality or state of being unanimous

• The board members reached a unanimous decision on the budget proposal.
• Everyone agreed on the movie choice, there was total unanimity.
• We were all on the same page, it was like a total group hug of unanimity.
• The colors of the sunset painted the sky with a beautiful unanimity.

adjective describing something that is done willingly, without force or pressure

• The witness testified that her statement was uncoerced and given freely.
• I promise I'm uncoerced in my decision to go to the party.
• I swear, my answer was totally uncoerced.
• Her creativity flowed uncoerced, like a river running freely.

noun A legitimate or honest course of action or behavior

adjective Honest or legitimate

• The company's financial records are all on the up-and-up.
• I can assure you, everything is on the up-and-up with this deal.
• Don't worry, this situation is totally up-and-up.
• His career has been on the up-and-up ever since he started working with that new team.

verb to impair the quality, value, or effectiveness of something

• The presence of false information could vitiate the contract.
• Adding those extra terms might vitiate the agreement.
• Don't let their negativity vitiate your mood.
• The bad weather did not vitiate the excitement of the crowd at the concert.

adjective describing something that is not right or fair, especially in a legal context

• The lawyer argued that the company was responsible for the wrongful termination of the employee.
• She was accused of wrongful parking in the handicapped spot.
• He got into a lot of trouble for that wrongful prank.
• Her wrongful actions cast a dark shadow over her reputation.

verb to issue or order a court injunction against someone or something

• The court decided to injunct the company from using the patented technology.
• They were injuncted from selling the counterfeit goods.
• The teacher injuncted the students from using their phones in class.
• His conscience injuncted him from taking the easy way out.

noun the Nightingale Pledge

• As healthcare professionals, we often recite the Nightingale Pledge to uphold the ethical standards of our profession.
• Hey, have you heard about the Nightingale Pledge that nurses take before starting their careers?
• Yo, did you know about that Nightingale Pledge thing nurses have to say? It's like their oath or something.
• Just like the Nightingale Pledge symbolizes a nurse's commitment to their patients, we should all strive to uphold our promises in life.

adjective relating to or supporting the idea of eugenics, which is the practice of improving the genetic quality of a population through controlled breeding

• The idea of implementing eugenic policies has been met with ethical debates.
• Some people believe in eugenic practices to improve the gene pool.
• I heard some crazy eugenic theories from that group.
• His obsession with perfection bordered on a eugenic mindset.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence.

conjunction A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence.

article A word that is used to specify a noun as specific or unspecific. In this case, 'the' is a definite article indicating a specific noun.

• In legal terms, the but for test is used to determine causation in negligence cases.
• You can think of the but for test as a way to figure out if something caused an event.
• The but for test is like the ultimate 'what if' scenario in law.
• Applying the but for test to our relationship, I realize that you are the reason for my happiness.

noun the act of protecting or defending something or someone from potential harm or danger

• Safeguarding the rights of children is a top priority for the organization.
• We need to make sure we're safeguarding our personal information online.
• Don't forget to safeguard your phone when you're out at the bar.
• She built a wall around her heart as a way of safeguarding herself from getting hurt.

adjective relating to or characteristic of the practice of eugenics

adverb relating to or characteristic of the practice of eugenics

• The practice of selecting certain traits for breeding purposes can be seen as eugenically driven.
• Some people believe in eugenically improving the genetic makeup of future generations.
• I heard they're trying to eugenically engineer super smart babies.
• The company's hiring process seemed almost eugenically focused on finding the perfect candidate.

noun a drug or device that induces abortion

• The doctor prescribed an abortifacient to terminate the pregnancy.
• She took a pill that acted as an abortifacient.
• I heard she's taking those abortion pills, the abortifacients.
• His decision to leave the company was like an abortifacient for the team's morale.

adjective an adjective describes a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'unvaccinatable' describes something that cannot be vaccinated

• Due to a rare medical condition, some individuals may be considered unvaccinatable.
• I heard that Sarah is unvaccinatable because of her allergies.
• Dude, did you know that guy is totally unvaccinatable?
• The stubborn old man seemed unvaccinatable when it came to changing his ways.

noun A person who carries and gives birth to a baby for another person or couple

adjective Describing the type of carrier involved in the pregnancy process

• The couple decided to use a gestational carrier to carry their baby to term.
• My sister is acting as a gestational carrier for her best friend.
• I heard she's being a baby oven for someone as a gestational carrier.
• The company acted as a gestational carrier for the new product, nurturing it until it was ready for launch.

noun a medication taken to terminate a pregnancy

• The abortion pill is a medication that can be taken to end a pregnancy.
• She decided to take the abortion pill rather than undergo a surgical procedure.
• Some people refer to the abortion pill as 'the morning-after pill'.
• Taking the abortion pill was like hitting the reset button on her life.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word naming an attribute of a noun, such as sweet, red, or technical

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it, this)

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The decision was made against one's wishes, but it was necessary for the greater good.
• I was forced to go on the trip against my wishes, but ended up having a great time.
• My parents made me clean my room against my wishes, it was so unfair!
• Sometimes life throws challenges at us that go against our wishes, but we must learn to adapt and overcome.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, or thing

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

• The court ruled that the contract was signed against someone's will and therefore not legally binding.
• She was forced to go on the trip against her will and ended up having a terrible time.
• He was dragged to the party against his will and was not happy about it.
• The new policy was implemented against someone's will, causing a lot of discontent among the employees.

pronoun A word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse. In this case, 'someone' is referring to an unspecified person whose wishes are

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. In this case, 'against' is showing the relationship between someone's wishes and the action that goes against them.

• The decision to move forward with the project was made against someone's wishes.
• I know she didn't want us to go, but we went anyway against her wishes.
• We totally went against his wishes and crashed the party.
• Sometimes you have to go against someone's wishes in order to follow your own path.