Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

do no harm

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.46 in modern English

Syllables: do no harm
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To perform no actions which will be injurious or in any way unfavorable to another person, regardless of whether one does anything of positive benefit for that other person.

Example Sentences

""Oh, make your mind easy! I shall do no harm, if I do no good.""
"[G]et government out of the gambling business. . . . These officials pervert public policy, which should at least do no harm."
"First, consider the moral minimum, do no harm."
"A doctor's principle code is, "First, do no harm.""
"Hence, some people consider non-maleficence to be the most basic of all the cardinal principles of ethics; it lays down the least minimum condition for ethical correctness, as if to say: "even if you would not do good, at least do no harm.""

Etymology

Calque of Latin prīmum nōn nocēre.

Inflected Forms

does no harm (present, singular) doing no harm (participle, present) did no harm (past) done no harm (participle, past)

Phrases

primum non nocere

Frequently Paired Words

nonharmful beneficence nonmaleficence primum non nocere

Questions

What does do no harm mean?: To perform no actions which will be injurious or in any way unfavorable to another person, regardless of whether one does anything of positive benefit for that other person.
Where does do no harm come from?: Calque of Latin prīmum nōn nocēre.

How to pronounce do no harm

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