moral

noun

mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl 

ˈmär-;

sense 3 is

mə-ˈral 

1

a

: 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.

Did you know?

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

Synonyms of moral

• principles
• norms
• standards
• ethics
• morality

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

As my son Wes aptly said, the moral of the story is that some democrats seem okay with Nazi symbolism but not a Jewish state. —Doug Friednash, Denver Post, 3 June 2026

Without naming names but easy enough to deduce, Joan Baez has let her disappointment known about the morals of some of the most popular women in the music industry. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 27 May 2026

The movie, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 3, showed us how to use our magic and morals to decide whether to embrace necromancy and the occult. —Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026

And the moral of the story is to be nice to the creepy guys in the gas station. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing moral

• moral ambiguity
• moral authority
• moral compass
• moral hazard
• moral imperative
• moral philosophy
• moral support
• moral victory
• pre-moral
• the moral high ground

Rhymes for moral

• aural
• chloral
• choral
• coral
• floral
• forel
• lauryl
• loral
• quarrel
• sorel
• sorrel
• toral

Kids Definition

moral

1 of 2 adjective

mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl 

ˈmär-

1

a

: of or relating to the judgment of right and wrong in human behavior : ethical

b

: expressing or teaching an idea of right behavior

a moral poem

c

: agreeing with a standard of right behavior : good

moral conduct

d

: able to choose between right and wrong

2

: likely but not proved : virtual

a moral certainty

morally

-ə-lē 

adverb

moral

2 of 2 noun

1

: the lesson to be learned from a story or an experience

2

plural : moral conduct

a high standard of morals

3

plural : moral teachings or rules