MORAL Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'moral' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of moral are ethical , noble , righteous , and virtuous . While all these words 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

Q: When is 'ethical' a more appropriate choice than 'moral'?

The synonyms ethical and moral are sometimes interchangeable, but ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. // committed to the highest ethical principles

Q: When might 'noble' be a better fit than 'moral'?

Although the words noble and moral have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. // had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Q: In what contexts can 'righteous' take the place of 'moral'?

In some situations, the words righteous and moral are roughly equivalent. However, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. // wished to be righteous before God and the world

Q: When could 'virtuous' be used to replace 'moral'?

While the synonyms virtuous and moral are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character. // not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

moral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmȯr-əl

Definition of moral

as in ethical

conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue the kind of moral behavior that is expected of everyone in the parish's youth organization

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in honorable

guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong a moral decision to refrain from sexual relations until after marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moral

2 of 2

noun

as in principle

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective moral differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of moral are ethical, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words 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

When is ethical a more appropriate choice than moral?

The synonyms ethical and moral are sometimes interchangeable, but ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

When might noble be a better fit than moral?

Although the words noble and moral have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

In what contexts can righteous take the place of moral?

In some situations, the words righteous and moral are roughly equivalent. However, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

When could virtuous be used to replace moral?

While the synonyms virtuous and moral are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of moral

Adjective

This failure can partly be attributed to the enormous political and moral pressure Washington feels to offer unconditional support when a close ally is attacked, as Ukraine was in 2022 or Israel was in 2023. — Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 Politicians, social media influencers, journalists and pundits increasingly use it to describe Israel’s war in Gaza — as though one of the gravest accusations in our moral vocabulary has already been settled. — Arielle Kaden, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026

Noun

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 See All Example Sentences for moral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moral

Adjective

The five-parter from Tiger King co-director Eric Goode features reptile dealers with a fondness for creepy crawlies and a loose connection to ethical and legal mores.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Aug. 2026
This is true except when leaders fail to provide the ethical and mental guidance needed to operate it.

— Olatunde Badmus, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of ethical

Adjective

Ingrid is an honorable and moral friend who facilitates her death while staying in a neighboring room.

— Vanessa Rampton, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026
Olson received a tactical operations support award from the sheriff’s department in 2023 and was scheduled to receive a five-year honorable service award this month.

— David Chiu, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of honorable

Noun

This role elevates governance from a bureaucratic afterthought to a core design principle, treating traceability, explainability and data integrity as first-class concerns alongside delivery speed.

— Andrew Sales, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Two sources close to the squad say at least one senior player has already agreed a deal in principle to leave at the end of the coming season, with an offer on the table from a team above United in the table.

— Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of principle

Adjective

And the honest inventory is longer than most executives think.

— Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
His honest songwriting — and lack of fear around making a song sound a little darker or more dangerous than what we’re used to hearing on country radio — is what sets him apart.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

Even the most conscientious hand washers who use a basin or a full sink still use two to four times as much water as the average dishwasher cycle.

— Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2026
That’s how John Sugar goes from conscientious private eye to would-be assassin.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 24 July 2026

Definition of conscientious

Noun

For now, though, soccer’s civil war appears to be heading toward an entrenched standoff of ideas and values.

— Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
South Africa's utility, Eskom, plans to develop a 1-gigawatt solar manufacturing facility to capture more value from its fast-expanding solar market and respond to changing electricity demand.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of value

Adjective

Instead, the shoreline is made up of rocky outcroppings, making the pools—and the views—the true focal point.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Aug. 2026
Thankfully for Chad Gable, his loss came in the match of the year in 2026, and this led to a babyface redemption tour with Chad Gable playing his true self as opposed to a heel luchador.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of true

Noun

Their goal was to test the leading theory, first put forward in the 1980s, that turbulence — the irregular motion of air currents in the atmosphere — caused shadow bands.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Zahary emphasized that LLMs, in his experience, have been valuable in assisting humans in developing new theories or finding answers to problems.

— Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of theory

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moralism

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“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moral. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of moral

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