Definition of moral
1a : of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical moral judgmentsb : expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior a moral poemc : conforming to a standard of right behavior took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nominationd : sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment a moral obligatione : capable of right and wrong action a moral agent
3 : perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect a moral victory moral support
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Examples of moral in a Sentence
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.
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. 2016The 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
Origin and Etymology of moral
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin moralis, from mor-, mos custom
Synonym Discussion of moral
Other Philosophy Terms
Definition of moral
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 Lippmannb : 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.
Examples of moral in a Sentence
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.
Origin and Etymology of moral
see 1moral
Other Literature Terms
MORAL Defined for English Language Learners
moral
playDefinition of moral for English Language Learners
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: concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior
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: based on what you think is right and good
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: considered right and good by most people : agreeing with a standard of right behavior
moral
playDefinition of moral for English Language Learners
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: a lesson that is learned from a story or an experience
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morals : proper ideas and beliefs about how to behave in a way that is considered right and good by most people
MORAL Defined for Kids
Definition of moral for Students
morally
adverb morally wrong behaviorDefinition of moral for Students
1 : the lesson to be learned from a story or experience
2 morals plural : ways of behaving : moral conduct They have a high standard of morals.
3 morals plural : teachings or rules of right behavior
Learn More about moral
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See words that rhyme with moral Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for moral Spanish Central: Translation of moral Nglish: Translation of moral for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of moral for Arabic speakers
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