informed-consent
UK[ɪnˈfɔːmd kənˈsɛnt]US[ɪnˈfɔːrmd kənˈsɛnt]
n
A principle in medical ethics and law that a patient must have sufficient understanding of a proposed treatment, including its risks and benefits, before agreeing to it.
n
The formal agreement or permission given by a patient based on such understanding.
Morpheme Breakdown
informed
consent
informed
having knowledge
consent
permission or agreement
Etymology
The compound term "informed-consent" is a modern legal and ethical construct, originating in mid-20th century Anglo-American law. Its first element, "informed," derives from the Latin 'informare,' which literally meant 'to shape or form.' This evolved through the sense of 'instructing' or 'imparting knowledge,' leading to its current adjectival meaning of being equipped with necessary information. The second element, "consent," comes from Latin 'consentire,' meaning 'to feel together' or 'be in agreement,' composed of 'con-' (together) and 'sentire' (to feel). The compound logic is elegantly literal: it is a specific type of agreement (consent) that is valid only when it is shaped or formed (informed) by prior knowledge and understanding, thus protecting patient autonomy.
Analysis
Structure: informed + consent
- informed: From Latin 'informare' (to shape, give form to, instruct). In English, it functions as a past participle adjective meaning 'having knowledge'.
- consent: From Latin 'consentire' (to feel together, agree). In English, it functions as a noun meaning 'permission or agreement'.
Examples
The surgeon explained the procedure's risks in detail to obtain the patient's informed-consent.
Ethical research requires documented informed-consent from all participants.
The legal case centered on whether the informed-consent form was adequately comprehensive.