morality

noun

mo·​ral·​i·​ty mə-ˈra-lə-tē 

mȯ-

plural moralities

1

a

: a doctrine or system of moral conduct

… the basic law which an adequate morality ought to state.

—Marjorie Grene

b

moralities plural : particular moral principles or rules of conduct

… we were all brought up on one of these moralities …

—Psychiatry

2

: conformity to ideals of right human conduct

admitted the expediency of the law but questioned its morality

3

: moral conduct : virtue

… morality today involves a responsible relationship toward the laws of the natural world …

—P. B. Sears

4

a

: a moral discourse, statement, or lesson

ended his lecture with a trite morality

b

: a literary or other imaginative work teaching a moral lesson

"Aesop's Fables" is famous as a morality.

Synonyms of morality

• virtue
• integrity
• honesty
• goodness
• morals
• ethics
• character
• rightness

Examples of morality in a Sentence

The group is calling for a return to traditional morality.

two groups with clashing moralities

The decision may be legally justified, but I question its morality.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its officials view questions of morality as a costly sideshow, the remit of woolly-minded idealists who do not understand how the world works. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026

The horrors of the atomic bomb, America’s culpability and relation to postwar Japan, and the morality of revenge are major themes in Minus Zero. — James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026

The first film followed Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer forced to confront the morality of his work while being chased by an INTERPOL Agent, per its official description. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026

When morality is consistently applied to food, a person’s relationship to food can become complicated. — Bryn Beeder, The Conversation, 1 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Phrases Containing morality

• morality play

Rhymes for morality

• banality
• bestiality
• brutality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality

Kids Definition

morality

noun

mo·​ral·​i·​ty mə-ˈral-ət-ē 

plural moralities

1

: moral quality : virtue

judge the morality of an action

2

: a system of moral rules