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
There is absolutely no reason to burn tread off the greatest shooter alive just to secure a meaningless moral victory on a Tuesday night in late-March in the service of some quixotic goal to lose later in the playoffs.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The moral victory went to nobody.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Even that was a moral victory for Klein, whom many expected to be pinned by the veteran from the Imperial Valley.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
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
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
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Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
The moral victory went to nobody.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Even that was a moral victory for Klein, whom many expected to be pinned by the veteran from the Imperial Valley.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Moral victory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20victory. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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