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

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

Anthropic’s constitution for its Claude models describes their moral status as uncertain. — Shae Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 Panelists stressed the need for pro-democracy movements, economic justice and moral leadership to counteract white nationalism and Christian nationalism, urging white people and Christians to take action. — Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Noun

The point is that trust, related to ethics, morals and transparency, is not an option. — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for moral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for moral

Adjective

Put another way, in bringing the footage into the realm of film, and not reality television—his domain—Fielder breached some ethical standard.

— Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
The collaboration with De Beers Group and Grandview Klein Diamonds is one of ethical sourcing and complete traceability.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of ethical

Noun

This principle is similar to how a fish uses its fins and tail to swim.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026
The Wright Flyer stayed airborne for only seconds during its first flight, but the underlying engineering principles helped make powered aviation practical.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of principle

Adjective

My honest read on timing is that the five percent will be twenty percent by end of 2027, and fifty by end of 2029.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The original impetus for the film, to be honest, was to look at an incredible life story over a long German period.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

Once reading time kicked off during a recent meetup, the only sounds from the group were the quiet rustle of pages turning and the conscientious nibbling of snacks and sipping of tea as the cafe continued its bustle.

— Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
Even if every senator were ethical, conscientious and committed to the public good, the incentives would remain the same.

— Nicholas Jacobs, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of conscientious

Noun

Its practical value will depend on whether the systems can consistently handle varied components, operate at useful production speeds, and work reliably within existing factory infrastructure.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
This translates into infinitely many families of identities, one for every value of a.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of value

Noun

In September 2026 Huang and a few collaborators uploaded a proof that the historic equations represent a single case of a much grander geometrical theory.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026
But there are many theories about why people are attracted to true crime, with serial killers being the stars of that world.

— Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of theory

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“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moral. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of moral

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