amoral

adjective

amor·​al (ˌ)ā-ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce amoral (audio)
(ˌ)a-,
-ˈmär-
1
a
: having or showing no concern about whether behavior is morally right or wrong
amoral politicians
an amoral, selfish person
b
: being neither moral nor immoral
specifically : lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply
Science as such is completely amoral. W. S. Thompson
2
: being outside or beyond the moral order or a particular code of morals
amoral customs
amoralism noun
amorality
ˌā-mə-ˈra-lə-tē How to pronounce amoral (audio)
ˌa-
-(ˌ)mȯ-
noun
amorally
ˌā-ˈmȯr-ə-lē How to pronounce amoral (audio)
(ˌ)a-
-ˈmär-
adverb

Examples of amoral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle is an amoral streetwise antihero searching for a new beginning — by any means necessary. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 The nods to classic Westerns are immediately obvious to those with even a passing acquaintance with the genre: a lone figure framed in a doorway, shot from behind, looking out onto a landscape of flat scrublands; the casual violence meted out to the amoral inhabitants of this stark world. Nick Holdsworth, Variety, 24 Jan. 2024 Gad is a standout as the hilariously amoral Teddy McGiggle. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2023 The spinoff tries without success to repeat an old formula with a charming but amoral protagonist December 29, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023 But Money got under my skin—a profane, madcap, headlong plunge into a filthy amoral world of hyper-capitalism. Vogue, 30 Dec. 2023 Originally played by 50 Cent in the flagship series, this rendition delves deeper into Kanan’s evolution from the devoted son of Raquel Thomas into the eventual ferocious, amoral and pragmatic personality fans know from Power. Essence, 13 Dec. 2023 There is nothing wrong or amoral about the Cowboys collecting wins against Wilson and Dobbs these next two weeks. Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023 Dispensing with complexity and real-world consequences, the disinformation machinery of the Hindu right has been operating in an amoral zone, treating the Israel-Hamas war as little more than an entertaining spectacle happening somewhere far away, and as a windfall for its Islamophobic agenda. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amoral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of amoral was in 1882

Dictionary Entries Near amoral

Cite this Entry

“Amoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amoral. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amoral

adjective
amor·​al ā-ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce amoral (audio)
-ˈmär-
: not being moral nor immoral
amorally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on amoral

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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