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

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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

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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

What prosecutors might be considering The questions prosecutors are considering are likely both moral and practical, Medwed said. — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 In several case studies documented by AHRDO, women who approached the Taliban courts to complain about domestic abuse, violence and even rape were arrested and charged with moral crimes and sentenced to public lashing. — Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 8 Sep. 2026

Noun

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 See All Example Sentences for moral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moral

Adjective

In neither case, by today's standards, were the operations fair or ethical on a number of fronts.

— Space.com Staff, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026
As these tasks fell outside the scope of the employees' official duties, the directive amounted to a violation of ethical standards, the report concluded.

— Andrea Hsu, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of ethical

Adjective

The group meets monthly and is open to those with honorable, general and other-than-honorable discharges.

— Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
All persons having business before this honorable court are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of honorable

Noun

Coach Nick Sirianni hired another first-time play-caller, Sean Mannion, to build a brand new system with principles championed by Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.

— Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
On October 7, Hamas, a group that al-Qaeda regularly criticized for compromising on theological principles in the pursuit of its political agenda, launched a bloody terrorist attack on Israel, killing more than 1,100 people.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of principle

Adjective

Rational, honest people understand that a part of her appeal is to middle America, particularly white people in middle America.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
There’s a lot in this film to be honest, but the first one that comes to mind is probably a moment where Tyler is leading his group in a conversation with the king for the first time.

— Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of honest

Noun

Republicans and Democrats alike have faced anger from voters anxious about the impact a data center built in their community will have on utility bills, property values, and quality of life.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2026
SpaceX got the rest of the contracts, with 22 launches booked on Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets for a total value of $4 billion.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of value

Adjective

There was skepticism about Vizzina, who threw only 105 passes in his first three years at Clemson and then was pushed by true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting role in preseason camp.

— Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
This is true for the franchise as a whole; RHOA is the city that turned Housewives into a sport that requires real skill and charisma.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of true

Noun

Such theories were substantiated less than half an hour into his debut against Arsenal.

— Aston Villa, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Kirby applied his theory most prominently in June 2021, when United placed the largest aircraft order in its history, even as its passenger numbers remained far below pre-pandemic levels.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of theory

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“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moral. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of moral

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