moral

adjective

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mor·al | \ ˈmȯr-əl

, ˈmär- \

Definition of moral

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical moral judgments

b : expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior a moral poem

c : conforming to a standard of right behavior took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nomination

d : sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment a moral obligation

e : capable of right and wrong action a moral agent

2 : probable though not proved : virtual a moral certainty

3 : perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect a moral victory moral support

moral

noun

mor·al | \ ˈmȯr-əl

, ˈmär-; sense 3 is mə-ˈral

Definition of moral (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the moral significance or practical lesson (as of a story) The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have.

b : a passage pointing out usually in conclusion the lesson to be drawn from a story

2 morals plural

a : moral practices or teachings : modes of conduct an authoritative code of morals has force and effect when it expresses the settled customs of a stable society— Walter Lippmann

b : ethics the science of morals endeavors to divide men into the good and the bad— J. W. Krutch

3 : morale The casualties did not shake the moral of the soldiers.

Other Words from moral Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference? More Example Sentences Learn More about moral

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Choose the Right Synonym for moral

Adjective

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good. moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong. the basic moral values of a community ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. committed to the highest ethical principles virtuous implies moral excellence in character. not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. wished to be righteous before God and the world noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?

Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.

Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:

It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.
He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014

While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:

Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.
Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990

In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:

Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016
The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016

Examples of moral in a Sentence

Adjective Nor did these lawyers and bankers walk about suffused with guilt. They had the moral equivalent of teflon on their soul. Church on Sunday, foreclose on Monday. — Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002 … trip-wire sensitivity to perceived insult often leads to unjustifiable firings and other moral and legal imbroglios. — John McWhorter, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002 The modern liberal state was premised on the notion that in the interests of political peace, government would not take sides among the differing moral claims made by religion and traditional culture. — Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999 It was our desire for a moral world, the deep wish to assert the existence of goodness, that generated, as it continues to do, political fantasy. — Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 The author avoids making moral judgments. Each story teaches an important moral lesson. He felt that he had a moral obligation to help the poor. We're confident she has the moral fiber to make the right decision. Their behavior was not moral. Animals are not moral creatures and are not responsible for their actions. Noun The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. The moral here is: pay attention to the warning lights in your car. Socrates was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth of Athens. The author points to recent cases of fraud as evidence of the lack of morals in the business world.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Having failed to ask for guidance on the moral question, as Churchill had done in 1942, Cummings and Johnson then failed to ask the professional one: Will the story get out? — Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, "The Churchillian Question Boris Johnson Failed To Ask," 26 May 2020 There’s a moral and practical vacuum at the very top. — cleveland, "You have some profound thoughts about the nation’s lacking sense of communal sacrifice during this coronavirus pandemic," 20 May 2020 The RANDies weren’t the only ones grappling with the moral and economic problem of the value of a human life. — Adam Rogers, Wired, "How Much Is a Human Life Actually Worth?," 10 May 2020 From the start, Dean was written as the let’s-go-in-guns-blazing one, and Sam was the let’s-think-about-this character, carrying a lot of the weight of the moral and ethical burden of decision making. — Samantha Highfill, EW.com, "Read excerpts of Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles' entries in new Supernatural book," 4 May 2020 Some experts have proposed a concept called imminent death donation that would allow the kind of kidney donation Bender had in mind, but its moral and legal status remain murky. — Claudia Wallis, Scientific American, "The Morally Complex Mix of Euthanasia and Organ Donation," 4 May 2020 In hundreds of cases, the Earnhardts lent moral and financial support to employees who were facing an illness or family tragedy. — Robert Anglen, azcentral, "Tex Earnhardt, colorful founder of car dealership empire, dies at 89," 19 Apr. 2020 Among Sanders supporters, his decades-long unwavering principles were the foundation of his appeal, and his dissonance with his colleagues and failure to get them to do what was moral and right were examples of his virtue. — Kristin Iversen, refinery29.com, "Bernie Sanders Showed Us The Future Is About More Than Just Survival," 9 Apr. 2020 In fact, scenarios involving space colonies or long distance travel are good crystallizations of moral questions because the scenarios themselves are so simplified and far away from feasibility. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Rand Paul: Earth Is Fine! What We Should Really Do Is Terraform Mars," 22 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Because our morals, in-groups and nation will survive us. — Dan Cable, Scientific American, "Coping with ‘Death Awareness’ in the COVID-19 Era," 13 May 2020 Moral injury happens when soldiers witness or engage in acts that transgress their own morals or beliefs. — Neil Shortland, The Conversation, "Doctors are making life-and-death choices over coronavirus patients – it could have long-term consequences for them," 6 Apr. 2020 Some things shouldn’t change at all — like your morals, your values, and your general beliefs about the right way to treat people. — Author: Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, "Dating app etiquette in a time of quarantine," 5 Apr. 2020 Irish filmmaker John Michael McDonagh’s thoughtful character drama asks poignant questions about our morals, led by Gleeson’s brilliant performance as a priest struggling with his own. — Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, "25 movies about Ireland and Irish people you should watch on St. Patrick’s Day," 17 Mar. 2020 Why surrender your data to a company that holds different morals and values than you?... — David Rutland, Ars Technica, "Digital hoarders: “Our terabytes are put to use for the betterment of mankind”," 12 Apr. 2020 Having good morals and keeping yourself on the side of what’s right is always your best route. — chicagotribune.com, "Cooling Stress Tips: Why having good morals will lower stress," 28 Oct. 2019 The main character in the show is one such cop, policewoman Angela Abar (Regina King), a hero with complicated morals. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "Everything You Need to Know About the Watchmen Graphic Novel Before You Watch the Show," 18 Oct. 2019 The culture and politics in California were supposed too extreme for human life, also — from loose morals in San Francisco to business-crushing taxes and regulations out of Sacramento. — Kyle Whitmire, al, "Whitmire: Stop with the California comparisons, Kay Ivey," 27 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'moral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.