moral

1 of 2

adjective

mor·al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)

ˈmär-

: of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical

moral judgments

: expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior

a moral poem

: conforming to a standard of right behavior

took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nomination

: sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment

a moral obligation

: capable of right and wrong action

a moral agent

: probable though not proved : virtual

a moral certainty

: perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect

a moral victory

moral support

morally

ˈmȯr-ə-lē

ˈmär-

adverb

moral

2 of 2

noun

mor·al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)

ˈmär-;

sense 3 is

mə-ˈral

: the moral significance or practical lesson (as of a story)

The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have.

: a passage pointing out usually in conclusion the lesson to be drawn from a story

morals plural

: moral practices or teachings : modes of conduct

an authoritative code of morals has force and effect when it expresses the settled customs of a stable society

Walter Lippmann

: ethics

the science of morals endeavors to divide men into the good and the bad

J. W. Krutch

: morale

The casualties did not shake the moral of the soldiers.

Did you know?

Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?

Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.

Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:

It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.

He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014

While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:

Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.

Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990

In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:

Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016

The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016

Example Sentences

Adjective Nor did these lawyers and bankers walk about suffused with guilt. They had the moral equivalent of teflon on their soul. Church on Sunday, foreclose on Monday.

Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002 … trip-wire sensitivity to perceived insult often leads to unjustifiable firings and other moral and legal imbroglios.

John McWhorter, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002 The modern liberal state was premised on the notion that in the interests of political peace, government would not take sides among the differing moral claims made by religion and traditional culture.

Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999 It was our desire for a moral world, the deep wish to assert the existence of goodness, that generated, as it continues to do, political fantasy.

Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 The author avoids making moral judgments. Each story teaches an important moral lesson. He felt that he had a moral obligation to help the poor. We're confident she has the moral fiber to make the right decision. Their behavior was not moral. Animals are not moral creatures and are not responsible for their actions. Noun The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. The moral here is: pay attention to the warning lights in your car. Socrates was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth of Athens. The author points to recent cases of fraud as evidence of the lack of morals in the business world. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

If ever there was a moral victory to give, Brennan would’ve earned it with its performance Saturday.

Zach Mason, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Aug. 2022 In their view, employers have a moral responsibility to check on workers who suddenly and inexplicably go missing.

Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 There was no moral victory but just letting people know.

Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, 28 July 2022 The Diamondbacks had fodder for a sort of moral victory — and in turn had the perspective to take the good over the bad.

Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 6 July 2022 Rex Elliott, the Foltz family lawyer, said the university has a moral responsibility to protect its students.

CBS News, 23 June 2022 When the Cubs lost 6-2 in the finale in Philadelphia, keeping the Phillies under double digits was treated as a moral victory.

Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2022 The idea of a moral victory in baseball offers little solace to the losing ballclub, but there’s still something to take out of the Orioles’ loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Andy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2022 Seeing the weirdness doesn’t negate our moral responsibility to others.

John Horgan, Scientific American, 14 June 2022

Noun

The moral of a story is not always clear, or the same to everyone in the audience.

Rachel Connolly, The New Republic, 12 Aug. 2022 The moral of the story is to think unconventionally and experiment with different things—if only to give you a reason to host more barbecues.

Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 20 June 2022 The moral of this story is plants ultimately reach a point when the rate of growth slows considerably.

Chris Mckeown, The Enquirer, 18 June 2022 The moral of the story is that, much like the spirits haunting its fringes, Supernatural will never truly die.

Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 9 June 2022 The moral of the story is part of what attracted ICAF co-founder, Katty Guerami, to the project.

Jessica Geltstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 There’s a certain moral repeated a few times throughout Hulu’s Candy, including in its first few minutes and its last.

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2022 The stories read like fables, and like Aesop’s, are mostly populated by archetypes and come with a too-neat moral at the end.

Jenna Scherer, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2022 This movie comes with a very powerful moral: Never, ever underestimate a hottie.

Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2022 See More

Kids Definition

moral 1 of 2

adjective

mor·al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)

: concerned with or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior

moral problems

a moral judgment

: able to teach a lesson of how people should behave

a moral story

: good entry 1 sense 13, virtuous

They lead a moral life.

: able to tell right from wrong

Humans are moral beings.

moral

2 of 2

noun

: the lesson to be learned from a story or experience

morals plural : ways of behaving : moral conduct

They have a high standard of morals.

morals plural : teachings or rules of right behavior

moral 1 of 2

adjective

as in ethical

conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue the kind of moral behavior that is expected of everyone in the parish's youth organization

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

ethical
honorable
honest
true
good
nice
decent
virtuous
noble
right
righteous
worthy
upright
all right
straight
just
respected
proper
correct
right-minded
legitimate
principled
exemplary
decorous
moralistic
pure
innocent
seemly
commendable
creditable
upstanding
irreproachable
high-minded
unobjectionable
reputable
angelic
guiltless
unerring
esteemed
sanctimonious
blameless
scrupulous
incorruptible
pharisaical
clean
inoffensive
immaculate
menschy
law-abiding
incorrupt
spotless
angelical
uncorrupted
self-righteous
goody-goody
rectitudinous
incorrupted
lily-white

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

immoral
evil
wrong
sinful
bad
wicked
unethical
dishonest
indecent
dishonorable
improper
unrighteous
unseemly
depraved
degenerate
indecorous
naughty
perverted
unbecoming
incorrect
libertine
corrupt
unprincipled
unscrupulous
dissolute
debased
debauched
villainous
low
base
atrocious
vile
reprobate
offensive
vicious
objectionable
evil-minded
infamous
mean
nefarious
blameworthy
iniquitous
fallen
erring
errant

as in honorable

guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong a moral decision to refrain from sexual relations until after marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

honorable
ethical
conscientious
honest
principled
good
responsible
scrupulous
worthy
just
decent
virtuous
true
conscionable
respectful
righteous
upright
reliable
dutiful
straight
respected
right-minded
trustworthy
solid
observant
upstanding
overconscientious
reputable
esteemed
trusty
law-abiding
tried-and-true

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

immoral
immoral
evil
unjust
unethical
sinful
bad
dishonest
unprincipled
unscrupulous
wicked
dishonorable
unconscionable
indecent
cutthroat
unrighteous
depraved
unreliable
degenerate
perverted
untrustworthy
corrupt
dissolute
debased
villainous
debauched
low
atrocious
base
vile
vicious
evil-minded
reprobate
infamous
mean
nefarious
iniquitous

moral

2 of 2

noun

as in principle

Synonyms & Similar Words

principle
value
tenet
precept
theory
belief
standard
doctrine
law
axiom
basis
truism
proposition
norm
rule
verity
dogma
gospel
thesis
inference
foundation
hypothesis
affirmation
canon
deduction
declaration
presupposition
hypothetical
ground
assertion
presumption
assumption
premise
dictum
conclusion
premiss
postulate
given
if
supposition
avouchment
ipse dixit

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of moral are ethical, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

The synonyms ethical and moral are sometimes interchangeable, but ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

Although the words noble and moral have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

In some situations, the words righteous and moral are roughly equivalent. However, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

While the synonyms virtuous and moral are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

单词	moral
释义	moral 1 of 2 adjective mor·al ˈmȯr-əl ˈmär- 1 a : of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical moral judgments b : expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior a moral poem c : conforming to a standard of right behavior took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nomination d : sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment a moral obligation e : capable of right and wrong action a moral agent 2 : probable though not proved : virtual a moral certainty 3 : perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect a moral victory moral support morally ˈmȯr-ə-lē ˈmär- adverb moral 2 of 2 noun mor·al ˈmȯr-əl ˈmär-; sense 3 is mə-ˈral 1 a : the moral significance or practical lesson (as of a story) The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. b : a passage pointing out usually in conclusion the lesson to be drawn from a story 2 morals plural a : moral practices or teachings : modes of conduct an authoritative code of morals has force and effect when it expresses the settled customs of a stable society Walter Lippmann b : ethics the science of morals endeavors to divide men into the good and the bad J. W. Krutch 3 : morale The casualties did not shake the moral of the soldiers. Did you know? Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference? Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used. Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong: It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test. He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society. Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014 While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity: Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing. Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs. Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990 In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible: Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.” Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016 The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet… Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016 Synonyms Adjective all right decent ethical good honest honorable just nice right right-minded righteous straight true upright virtuous Noun ethics ethos morality norms principles standards See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective Nor did these lawyers and bankers walk about suffused with guilt. They had the moral equivalent of teflon on their soul. Church on Sunday, foreclose on Monday. Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002 … trip-wire sensitivity to perceived insult often leads to unjustifiable firings and other moral and legal imbroglios. John McWhorter, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002 The modern liberal state was premised on the notion that in the interests of political peace, government would not take sides among the differing moral claims made by religion and traditional culture. Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999 It was our desire for a moral world, the deep wish to assert the existence of goodness, that generated, as it continues to do, political fantasy. Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 The author avoids making moral judgments. Each story teaches an important moral lesson. He felt that he had a moral obligation to help the poor. We're confident she has the moral fiber to make the right decision. Their behavior was not moral. Animals are not moral creatures and are not responsible for their actions. Noun The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. The moral here is: pay attention to the warning lights in your car. Socrates was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth of Athens. The author points to recent cases of fraud as evidence of the lack of morals in the business world. See More Recent Examples on the Web Adjective If ever there was a moral victory to give, Brennan would’ve earned it with its performance Saturday. Zach Mason, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Aug. 2022 In their view, employers have a moral responsibility to check on workers who suddenly and inexplicably go missing. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 There was no moral victory but just letting people know. Michael Casagrande \| Mcasagrande@al.com, al, 28 July 2022 The Diamondbacks had fodder for a sort of moral victory — and in turn had the perspective to take the good over the bad. Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 6 July 2022 Rex Elliott, the Foltz family lawyer, said the university has a moral responsibility to protect its students. CBS News, 23 June 2022 When the Cubs lost 6-2 in the finale in Philadelphia, keeping the Phillies under double digits was treated as a moral victory. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2022 The idea of a moral victory in baseball offers little solace to the losing ballclub, but there’s still something to take out of the Orioles’ loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Andy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2022 Seeing the weirdness doesn’t negate our moral responsibility to others. John Horgan, Scientific American, 14 June 2022 Noun The moral of a story is not always clear, or the same to everyone in the audience. Rachel Connolly, The New Republic, 12 Aug. 2022 The moral of the story is to think unconventionally and experiment with different things—if only to give you a reason to host more barbecues. Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 20 June 2022 The moral of this story is plants ultimately reach a point when the rate of growth slows considerably. Chris Mckeown, The Enquirer, 18 June 2022 The moral of the story is that, much like the spirits haunting its fringes, Supernatural will never truly die. Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 9 June 2022 The moral of the story is part of what attracted ICAF co-founder, Katty Guerami, to the project. Jessica Geltstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 There’s a certain moral repeated a few times throughout Hulu’s Candy, including in its first few minutes and its last. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2022 The stories read like fables, and like Aesop’s, are mostly populated by archetypes and come with a too-neat moral at the end. Jenna Scherer, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2022 This movie comes with a very powerful moral: Never, ever underestimate a hottie. Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective and Noun Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin moralis, from mor-, mos custom First Known Use Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Phrases Containing moral moral compass moral hazard moral authority moral ambiguity the moral high ground moral support moral victory moral philosophy pre-moral moral compass moral hazard moral authority moral ambiguity the moral high ground moral support moral victory moral philosophy pre-moral See More Kids Definition moral 1 of 2 adjective mor·al ˈmȯr-əl 1 : concerned with or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior moral problems a moral judgment 2 : able to teach a lesson of how people should behave a moral story 3 : good entry 1 sense 13, virtuous They lead a moral life. 4 : able to tell right from wrong Humans are moral beings. moral 2 of 2 noun 1 : the lesson to be learned from a story or experience 2 morals plural : ways of behaving : moral conduct They have a high standard of morals. 3 morals plural : teachings or rules of right behavior moral 1 of 2 adjective 1 as in ethical conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue the kind of moral behavior that is expected of everyone in the parish's youth organization Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance ethical honorable honest true good nice decent virtuous noble right righteous worthy upright all right straight just respected proper correct right-minded legitimate principled exemplary decorous moralistic pure innocent seemly commendable creditable upstanding irreproachable high-minded unobjectionable reputable angelic guiltless unerring esteemed sanctimonious blameless scrupulous incorruptible pharisaical clean inoffensive immaculate menschy law-abiding incorrupt spotless angelical uncorrupted self-righteous goody-goody rectitudinous incorrupted lily-white Antonyms & Near Antonyms immoral evil wrong sinful bad wicked unethical dishonest indecent dishonorable improper unrighteous unseemly depraved degenerate indecorous naughty perverted unbecoming incorrect libertine corrupt unprincipled unscrupulous dissolute debased debauched villainous low base atrocious vile reprobate offensive vicious objectionable evil-minded infamous mean nefarious blameworthy iniquitous fallen erring errant See More 2 as in honorable guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong a moral decision to refrain from sexual relations until after marriage Synonyms & Similar Words honorable ethical conscientious honest principled good responsible scrupulous worthy just decent virtuous true conscionable respectful righteous upright reliable dutiful straight respected right-minded trustworthy solid observant upstanding overconscientious reputable esteemed trusty law-abiding tried-and-true Antonyms & Near Antonyms immoral immoral evil unjust unethical sinful bad dishonest unprincipled unscrupulous wicked dishonorable unconscionable indecent cutthroat unrighteous depraved unreliable degenerate perverted untrustworthy corrupt dissolute debased villainous debauched low atrocious base vile vicious evil-minded reprobate infamous mean nefarious iniquitous See More moral 2 of 2 noun as in principle Synonyms & Similar Words principle value tenet precept theory belief standard doctrine law axiom basis truism proposition norm rule verity dogma gospel thesis inference foundation hypothesis affirmation canon deduction declaration presupposition hypothetical ground assertion presumption assumption premise dictum conclusion premiss postulate given if supposition avouchment ipse dixit Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of moral are ethical, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong. the basic moral values of a community The synonyms ethical and moral are sometimes interchangeable, but ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. committed to the highest ethical principles Although the words noble and moral have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. had the noblest of reasons for seeking office In some situations, the words righteous and moral are roughly equivalent. However, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. wished to be righteous before God and the world While the synonyms virtuous and moral are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character. not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless
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moral

adjective

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing moral

Kids Definition

adjective

noun

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser