greater good

English

Noun

greater good

1. The benefit of the public, of more people than a singular person or a small amount of people (especially if it requires some expense or sacrifice).

   Cutting pensions is for the greater good of all citizens.

   • 1740, George Turnbull, The Principles of Moral Philosophy: In Two Volumes, volume II, London: J. Noon, page 49:

     Moral powers therefore, and their improvements, must be the chief object of that infinitely good being's care and concern, whole scope in creating is the greater good of the whole.

   • 1824, Luke, “The self-denial of the Lord Jesus Christ”, in The Christian Magazine, volume I, Providence: Barnum Field, page 183:

     They are perfectly satisfied with the greater good for which they sacrifice the less good.

Translations

benefit of the public

• Finnish: yhteinen hyvä
• Hebrew: טובת הכלל
• Hindi: अधिक से अधिक अच्छे (adhik se adhik acche)
• Japanese: より大きな善
• Korean: 더 좋은 (deo jo'eun)
• Polish: dobro wspólne n
• Portuguese: bem maior m
• Russian: о́бщее бла́го n (óbščeje blágo)
• Spanish: bien común m, bien mayor m, mayor bien m, bien de todos m
• Swedish: gemensamma bästa n

See also

• common good

Further reading

• “the greater good” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.