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

In 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was killed in custody after being arrested by the morality police for improperly wearing her hijab. —Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026

The premise of the game, like a round of Dungeons & Dragons, encourages players to check their personal politics and morality at the door—and to try to think more radically. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026

The idea of intergenerational exchange is embedded in the perspective of eternity, but the mistake is to see ecological preservation as matters of personal and political morality. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

The latter ignited a 2022 uprising when Mahsa Amini, 22, was dragged off the street by Iran’s morality police, a unit within the national police tasked with implementing Islamic codes, for not wearing her headscarf correctly. —Ellie Austin, Fortune, 21 Jan. 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