casuistry

noun

ca·​su·​ist·​ry ˈkazh-wə-strē 

ˈka-zhə-

plural casuistries

1

: a resolving of specific cases of conscience, duty, or conduct through interpretation of ethical principles or religious doctrine

2

: specious argument : rationalization

Examples of casuistry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But even those long familiar with spectacles of careerist expediency dressed up in faux-altruistic casuistry can only step back in awe when evidence of a new standard of cynical self-aggrandizement comes along. —Gerard Baker, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021

With his casuistry, Whitman seems intent on convincing himself, more than anyone, that this health regimen will work. —Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1