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
Just treading water would have been a moral victory.
—
Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Required reading How Penn State and Beaver Stadium are prepared to host a College Football Playoff game
Penn State’s loss to Oregon was no moral victory.
—Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
To surpass the realm of moral victory and achieve immortality in Oklahoma, Jokic might have to reach even deeper and speak even louder.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
Winner: Rocky Best Loser: Taxi Driver In 1976, the feel-good picture of the year told the story of a scrappy boxer who rises from obscurity, fights the champ — and loses, securing only a moral victory in the process.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024
Dems glass half-full Given the rough state of the Democratic Party these days, better-than-expected counts as a moral victory.
—David Catanese, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Despite no official winner being declared, Paul's ability to last the full eight rounds was widely regarded as a moral victory, demonstrating his resilience and ability to compete against a seasoned professional.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Catalan separatists were able to claim a moral victory after the conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy moved to deploy the police to prevent people from voting in Barcelona and other Catalan cities.
—Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2023
Not Ready to Make Nice The Dixie Chicks, 2007
More of a moral victory than a creative one.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025
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Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Required reading How Penn State and Beaver Stadium are prepared to host a College Football Playoff game
Penn State’s loss to Oregon was no moral victory.
—Audrey Snyder, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
To surpass the realm of moral victory and achieve immortality in Oklahoma, Jokic might have to reach even deeper and speak even louder.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
Winner: Rocky Best Loser: Taxi Driver In 1976, the feel-good picture of the year told the story of a scrappy boxer who rises from obscurity, fights the champ — and loses, securing only a moral victory in the process.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2024
Dems glass half-full Given the rough state of the Democratic Party these days, better-than-expected counts as a moral victory.
—David Catanese, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Despite no official winner being declared, Paul's ability to last the full eight rounds was widely regarded as a moral victory, demonstrating his resilience and ability to compete against a seasoned professional.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
Catalan separatists were able to claim a moral victory after the conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy moved to deploy the police to prevent people from voting in Barcelona and other Catalan cities.
—Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2023
Not Ready to Make Nice The Dixie Chicks, 2007
More of a moral victory than a creative one.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moral victory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20victory. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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