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

Tyler brought military organization; Ball gave the movement its moral argument. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 The eighteenth century was an age not only of revolution and empire but also of enlightenment animated by the idea of progress—political, scientific, economic, technological, and moral. — Literary Hub, 10 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

Yet a critic who was also an artist, and furthermore the wife of an artist, presented an ethical problem.

— Jarrett Earnest, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
Ars Video The three researchers from Hacktron AI, a small security company, were paid $6,500 by OpenAI as part of a bug bounty program, a common practice where tech companies pay ethical hackers to test their security.

— Cristina Criddle, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of ethical

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

Any honest accounting of mail-in voting should begin with that distinction.

— Lee Moak, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
These real stories help create a more honest and relatable view of leadership while showing employees how these opportunities contribute to both personal and professional growth.

— Jalie Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of honest

Adjective

Almost 7% of Tarrant County kindergarteners had a conscientious exemption to at least one vaccine in the 2025-26 school year, up from 3% five years ago, according to state data.

— Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Fretting about the future is a favorite preoccupation of the conscientious.

— Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of conscientious

Noun

The two payment apps together account for nearly 85% of UPI transactions by value and 81% by volume, as per a report by Indian brokerage Ambit Capital.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
The expert questioned the practical value of effectively unlimited onboard electricity.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of value

Adjective

Showrunner Felicia Pride brought the concept to the streaming service with a goal to modernize the look and feel of the show while staying true to much of the feeling from the original.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
As much as there’s little room for nuance in the interval of frenzied overreaction that is Week 1 of the NFL season, two seemingly contradictory statements can be true at the exact same time.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of true

Noun

One of my favorite moments comes when an excited classmate emerges from the library holding a new book of feminist literary theory.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Annie Dillard, the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Holy the Firm, An American Childhood, and many other major works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and theory, died at the age of 81 on September 15 at her home in Massachusetts.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of theory

Browse Nearby Words

mop-ups

moral

moralism

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to moral

Cite this Entry

Style

“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moral. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of moral

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Commonly Confused Words Quiz

On 'Moral' and 'Morale'

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

elegiac

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes