moral victory
noun
: the achievement of something that is important and good
Although they lost, the minority claimed the vote as a moral victory since they had won the support of so many former opponents.
Examples of moral victory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No moral victory for the opponent, as there was last week when the Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks by just two.
—
Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025
But a moral victory has been claimed by far-right contender José Antonio Kast, 59, who is running for the presidency for a third time and will face off with Jara in a second round on Dec. 14.
—John Bartlett, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Harry Brook was asked by reporters before the final Test during that summer of 2023 whether, given rain was undeniably the only thing that prevented an England victory in Manchester, a 2-2 draw in the series would be akin to a moral victory.
—Darren Richman, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.
—Caitlin McFall , Yonat Friling, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
McDaniel is showcasing some true leadership here by not trying to state that what the team did amounted to a moral victory.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
While the tally in the loss column doesn’t count any differently than the 34-6 and 41-7 losses the Cowboys took to this same Eagles team in 2024, there’s a moral victory to be had in having a shot to steal one on the road in Week 1 — even if the effort came up short.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
There is neither justice nor peace nor any kind of moral victory in forcing an old man with dementia into a trial for a 37-year-old crime.
—Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Superman went from a trajectory toward $550 million to suddenly staring confidently at $600 million or more, if last weekend’s upset moral victory is a sign of things to come.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
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Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025
But a moral victory has been claimed by far-right contender José Antonio Kast, 59, who is running for the presidency for a third time and will face off with Jara in a second round on Dec. 14.
—John Bartlett, NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Harry Brook was asked by reporters before the final Test during that summer of 2023 whether, given rain was undeniably the only thing that prevented an England victory in Manchester, a 2-2 draw in the series would be akin to a moral victory.
—Darren Richman, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel.
—Caitlin McFall , Yonat Friling, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
McDaniel is showcasing some true leadership here by not trying to state that what the team did amounted to a moral victory.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
While the tally in the loss column doesn’t count any differently than the 34-6 and 41-7 losses the Cowboys took to this same Eagles team in 2024, there’s a moral victory to be had in having a shot to steal one on the road in Week 1 — even if the effort came up short.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
There is neither justice nor peace nor any kind of moral victory in forcing an old man with dementia into a trial for a 37-year-old crime.
—Meg Pillow
july 31, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025
Superman went from a trajectory toward $550 million to suddenly staring confidently at $600 million or more, if last weekend’s upset moral victory is a sign of things to come.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moral victory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20victory. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
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