[syn: consideration, thoughtfulness]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Consideration \Con*sid`er*a"tion\
(k[o^]n*s[i^]d`[~e]r*[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. consideratio: cf.
F. consid['e]ration.]
1. The act or process of considering; continuous careful
thought; examination; contemplation; deliberation;
attention.
[1913 Webster]
Let us think with consideration. --Sir P.
Sidney.
[1913 Webster]
Consideration, like an angel, came. --Shak.
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2. Attentive respect; appreciative regard; -- used especially
in diplomatic or stately correspondence.
[1913 Webster]
The undersigned has the honor to repeat to Mr.
Hulseman the assurance of his high consideration.
--D. Webster.
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The consideration with which he was treated.
--Whewell.
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3. Thoughtful or sympathetic regard or notice.
[1913 Webster]
Consideration for the poor is a doctrine of the
church. --Newman.
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4. Claim to notice or regard; some degree of importance or
consequence.
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Lucan is the only author of consideration among the
Latin poets who was not explained for . . . the
Dauphin. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
5. The result of delibration, or of attention and
examonation; matured opinion; a reflection; as,
considerations on the choice of a profession.
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6. That which is, or should be, taken into account as a
ground of opinion or action; motive; reason.
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He was obliged, antecedent to all other
considerations, to search an asylum. --Dryden.
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Some considerations which are necessary to the
forming of a correct judgment. --Macaulay.
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7. (Law) The cause which moves a contracting party to enter
into an agreement; the material cause of a contract; the
price of a stripulation; compensation; equivalent.
--Bouvier.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Consideration is what is done, or promised to be done,
in exchange for a promise, and "as a mere advantage to
the promisor without detriment to the promisee would
not avail, the proper test is detriment to the
promisee." --Wharton.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
consideration
n 1: the process of giving careful thought to something
2: information that should be kept in mind when making a
decision; "another consideration is the time it would take"
[syn: circumstance, condition, consideration]
3: a discussion of a topic (as in a meeting); "consideration of
the traffic problem took more than an hour"
4: kind and considerate regard for others; "he showed no
consideration for her feelings" [syn: consideration,
considerateness, thoughtfulness] [ant:
inconsiderateness, inconsideration, thoughtlessness]
5: a fee charged in advance to retain the services of someone
[syn: retainer, consideration]
6: a considerate and thoughtful act [syn: consideration,
thoughtfulness]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
346 Moby Thesaurus words for "consideration":
TLC, Trinkgeld, accent, accommodatingness, account, action,
admiration, adoration, advertence, advertency, advisement,
agreeableness, airing, alertness, ambition, amends, analysis,
anticipation, apotheosis, application, appreciation, approbation,
approval, argument, argumentum, aspiration, assiduity,
assiduousness, assumption, atonement, attention, attention span,
attentiveness, attitude, award, awareness, awe, baksheesh, balance,
ballast, basis, blood money, bonus, bounty, breathless adoration,
bribe, brooding, buzz session, calling, canvassing, care,
carefulness, caring, case, cause, caution, circumspection,
circumspectness, climate of opinion, cogitation, colloquium,
common belief, community sentiment, compassion, compensation,
complaisance, conceit, concentration, concept, conception, concern,
concernment, conclusion, condemnation, conference, cons,
consciousness, consensus gentium, consequence, consequentiality,
considerateness, contemplation, cool judgment, counsel,
counterbalance, counterpoise, counterweight, courtesy, credit,
damages, debate, debating, decision, decree, deference,
deification, deliberation, delicacy, deliverance, determination,
diagnosis, dialectic, dialogue, dictum, diligence, discreetness,
discretion, discrimination, discussion, donative, doom,
double time, duty, ear, earnestness, elenchus, emolument, emphasis,
equipoise, equivalent, esteem, estimate, estimation, ethos,
exaggerated respect, examination, excellence, exchange of views,
eye, favor, fee, feeling, finding, forbearance, forethought, forum,
general belief, give-and-take, goal, good judgment, gratuity,
gravy, grease, great respect, ground, guerdon, guiding light,
guiding star, heed, heedfulness, helpfulness, hero worship,
high order, high rank, high regard, homage, honor, honorarium,
idea, ideal, idolatry, idolization, ignoratio elenchi, import,
importance, impression, incentive pay, indemnification, indemnity,
inducement, indulgence, inspiration, intention, intentiveness,
intentness, interest, investigation, joint discussion, judgment,
judiciousness, kindliness, kindness, lagniappe, largess, leniency,
liberality, lights, lodestar, logical analysis, logical discussion,
loving care, lucubration, mainspring, makeweight, mark,
materiality, matter, meditation, meed, mercy, merit, mind,
mindfulness, moment, motive, musing, mystique, note, notice,
notion, obligingness, observance, observation, offset,
open discussion, open forum, opinion, order, palm oil,
panel discussion, paramountcy, payment, perks, perquisite,
personal judgment, plaidoyer, plea, pleading, point of view,
policy, polity, pondering, popular belief, position, posture,
pourboire, precedence, precedent, preeminence, premium,
preparedness, prestige, presumption, prevailing belief, price,
primacy, principle, priority, prognosis, pronouncement, pros,
pros and cons, providence, prudence, prudentialism, public belief,
public opinion, quarter, quid pro quo, quittance, rap, rap session,
reaction, reason, recompense, redress, reflection, reflectiveness,
refutation, regard, regardfulness, remark, remuneration,
reparation, requital, requitement, resolution, respect,
restitution, retribution, return, reverence, reverential regard,
review, revolving, reward, ruling, rumination, sake, salvage,
salve, satisfaction, score, self-importance, seminar, sentence,
sentiment, setoff, sight, significance, smart money, solatium,
solicitousness, solicitude, something extra, something of value,
sound judgment, soundness of judgment, source, special pleading,
speculation, sportula, spring, stance, stress, study, superiority,
supremacy, sweetener, symposium, tact, tactfulness, talking point,
tender loving care, theory, thinking, thought, thoughtfulness, tip,
tit for tat, toleration, town meeting, treatment, ulterior motive,
value, veneration, ventilation, verdict, view, vocation,
way of thinking, weighing, weight, wergild, worship, worth
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
CONSIDERATION, contracts. A compensation which is paid, or all inconvenience
suffered by the, party from whom it proceeds. Or it is the reason which
moves the contracting party to enter into the contract. 2 Bl. Com. 443.
Viner defines it to be a cause or occasion meritorious, requiring a mutual
recompense in deed or in law. Abr. tit. Consideration, A. A consideration of
some sort or other, is so absolutely necessary to the forming a good
contract, that a nudum pactum, or an agreement to do or to pay any thing on
one side, without any compensation to the other, is totally void in law, and
a man cannot be compelled to perform it. Dr. & Stud. d. 2, c. 24 3 Call, R.
439 7 Conn. 57; 1 Stew. R. 51 5 Mass. 301 4 John. R. 235; C. Yerg. 418;
Cooke, R. 467; 6 Halst. R. 174; 4 Munf. R. 95. But contracts under seal are
valid without a consideration; or, perhaps, more properly speaking, every
bond imports in itself a sufficient consideration, though none be mentioned.
11 Serg. & R. 107. Negotiable instruments, as bills of exchange and
promissory notes, carry with them prima facie evidence of consideration. 2
Bl. Com. 445.
3. The consideration must be some benefit to the party by whom the
promise is made, or to a third person at his instance; or some detriment
sustained at the instance of the party promising, by the party in whose
favor the promise is made. 4 East, 455;1 Taunt. 523 Chitty on Contr. 7 Dr.
& Stu. 179; 1 Selw. N. P. 39, 40; 2 pet. 182 1 Litt. 123; 3 John. 100; 6
Mass. 58 2 Bibb. 30; 2 J. J. Marsh. 222; 5 Cranch, 142, 150 2 N. H. Rep. 97
Wright, It. 660; 14 John. R. 466 13 S. & R. 29 3 M. Gr. & Sc. 321.
4. Considerations are good, as when they are for natural love and
affection; or valuable, when some benefit arises to the party to whom they
are made, or inconvenience to the party making them. Vin. Abr.
Consideration, B; 5 How. U. S. 278; 4 Barr, 364; 3 McLean, 330; 17 Conn.
511; 1 Branch, 301; 8 Ala. 949.
5. They are legal, which are sufficient to support the contract or
illegal, which render it void. As to illegal considerations, see 1 Hov.
Supp. to Ves. jr. 295; 2 Hov. Supp. to Ves. jr. 448; 2 Burr. 924 1 Bl. Rep.
204. If the, performance be utterly impossible, in fact or in law, the
consideration is void. 2 Lev. 161; Yelv. 197, and note; 3 Bos. & Pull. 296,
n. 14 Johns. R. 381.
6. A mere moral obligation to pay a debt or perform a duty, is a
sufficient consideration for an express promise, although no legal liability
existed at the time of making such promise. Cowp. 290 Bl. Com. 445 3 Bos. &
Pull. 249, note; 2 East, 506; 3 Taunt. 311; 5 Taunt. 36; 13 Johns. R. 259;
Yelv. 41, b, note; 3 Pick. 207. But it is to be observed, that in such cases
there must have been a good or valuable consideration; for example, every
one is under a moral obligation to relieve a person in distress, a promise
to do so, however, is not binding in law. One is bound to pay a debt which
he owes, although he has been released; a promise to pay such a debt is
obligatory in law on the debtor, and can therefore be enforced by action. 12
S. & R. 177; 19 John. R. 147; 4 W. C. C. R. 86, 148; 7 John. R. 26; 14 John.
R. 178; 1 Cowen, R. 249; 8 Mass. R. 127. See 7 Conn. R. 57; 1 Verm. R. 420;
5 Verm. R. 173; 5. Ham. R. 58; 3 Penna. R. 172; 5 Binn. R. 33.
7. In respect of time, a consideration is either, 1st. Executed, or
Something done before the making of the obligor's promise. Yelv. 41, a. n.
In general, an executed consideration is insufficient to support a contract;
7 John. R. 87; 2 Conn. R. 404; 7 Cowen, R. 358; but an executed
consideration on request; 7 John. R. 87 1 Caines R. 584; or by some previous
duty, or if the debt be continuing at the time, or it is barred by some rule
of law, or some provision of a statute, as the act of limitation, it is
sufficient to maintain an action. 4 W. C. C. R. 148 14 John. R. 378 17 S. &
R. 126. 2d. Executory, or something to be done after such promise. 3d.
Concurrent, as in the case of mutual promises; and, 4th. A continuing
consideration. Chitty on Contr. 16.
8. As to cases where the contract has been set aside on the ground of a
total failure of the consideration, see 11 Johns. R. 50; 7 Mass. 14; 8
Johns. R. 458; 8 Mass. 46 6 Cranch, 53; 2 Caines' Rep. 246 and 1 Camp. 40,
n. When the consideration turns out to be false and fails, there is no
contract; as, for example, if my father by his will gives me all his estate,
charged with the payment of a thousand dollars, and I promise to give you my
house instead of the legacy to you, and you agree to buy it with the legacy,
and before the contract is completed, and I make you a deed for the house, I
discover that my father made a codicil to his will and by it be revoked the
gift to you' I am not bound to complete the contract by making you a deed
for my house. Poth. on Oblig. part 1, c. 1, art. 3, Sec. 6. See, in general,
Obligation,, New Promise; Bouv. Inst. Index. b. t,; Evans' Poth. vol. ii. p.
19; 1 Fonb. Eq. 335; Newl. Contr. 65; 1 Com. Contr. 26; Fell on Guarrant.
337; 3 Chit. Com. Law, 63 to 99; 3 Bos. & Pull. 249, n; 1 Fonb. Eq. 122,
note z; Id. 370, note g; 5 East, 20, n.; 2 Saund. 211, note 2; Lawes Pl.
Ass. 49; 1 Com. Dig. Action upon the case upon Assumpsit, B Vin. Abr.
Actions of Assumpsit, Q; Id. tit. Consideration.