Rawls

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A philosopher known for his contributions to political and moral philosophy, particularly his ideas on justice and social contract theory
2. An influential figure in modern political thought, most recognized for the development of theories surrounding justice as fairness
3. A scholar whose work emphasizes ethical principles governing social structures and individual rights within a fair society

Etymology: Rawls is a surname, and its origin is a patronymic: it means "son of Ralph." Ralph is an old personal name, and in medieval England and France forms of it were common enough that many family names grew out of them by adding a suffix marking descent from the bearer of the name. The "-s" ending on Rawls works the same way as the "-s" in Jones or Williams, which were built on John and William. The name is best known today through John Rawls, the American political philosopher whose work on justice made his surname a familiar word in academic and political discussion. Like many other surnames, it began as a label for a family line and only later came to name a single person.

Synonyms: scrapes, drags, scratches

Antonyms: smooths, polishes