morality

noun

mə-ˈra-lə-tē How to pronounce morality (audio)
Definition of moralitynext
1
as in virtue
conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong given his reputation for unswerving morality, scandal of any kind would wreck his political career

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in principles
the code of good conduct for an individual or group the morality that members of the Mafia are expected to adhere to—or suffer the consequences

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 morality The term refers to the belief that science is the only way to understand the world and that morality should rest on reason rather than religious teachings. — Ruiqian Li, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026 With that as an economic model, morality and fair play was nonsense. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 When film and television try to capture the messy morality of these would-be titans, the results are predictably ambivalent. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Law & Courts A failed execution in Tennessee and plans to livestream a firing squad are recharging America’s death penalty debate, raising questions about morality and justice. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for morality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for morality
  1. virtue
  2. norms
  3. integrity
  4. standards
  5. honesty
  6. goodness
  7. character
  8. rightness
Noun
  • The nod to purity emphasized the paint brand’s relationship to cleanliness and virtue, and possibly other notions of bigotry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • For Monday meditation, the teaching group has assigned the 10 paramis (spiritual virtues) of Buddhism, which explore topics like generosity, wisdom and patience.
    — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • The first lady credited scientific advances and changing social norms for the launch of the initiative, elements of which echo a Biden administration effort.
    — Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • American norms about politics, science, education and law are being overturned, and artificial intelligence threatens further disruption.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of norms
Noun
  • Although without Netanyahu’s charisma, Eisenkot, the son of Jewish immigrants from Morocco, is widely regarded by voters as a man of integrity.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • In response, the ambassadors of France and Spain made public statements emphasizing the importance of a credible electoral process and the need for Haiti’s next president to have integrity.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of integrity
Noun
  • As the industry kept growing, Congress added safety, noise and emissions standards to protect the communities living beneath the flight paths.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Staff are attentive and helpful without being overly formal, delivering the high standards of a larger hotel with the personal touch of a boutique property.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • Listen to their thoughts, then speak with hope, honesty and kindness.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The genre will continue to preserve the emotional honesty of its lyrics, which have traditionally focused on love.
    — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of honesty
Noun
  • Sign up here to get all the goodness delivered straight to your inbox.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Thank goodness the Authors Guild is taking action to fight back against AI, but the Big Five publishers are doing less so.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of goodness
Noun
  • The Johnson County pastor and the former rural doctor traded condemnations, repeatedly turning policy questions into opportunities to cast doubt on each other’s character and fitness for office.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Stretch fabrics have sleek constructions without the bulky appearance of conventional stretch denim, and mechanical stretch fabrics offer big, open twills and rigid character.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of character
Noun
  • Scented fleetingly with cinnamon, the dates gently smoked, their rightness with eggs sounds improbable.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Cool Machine is definitive not only for its sweep but also for the rightness, the evocative precision, of the details that fill its paragraphs like the mystery mix inside the skin of a Gray’s Papaya hot dog.
    — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of rightness

Browse Nearby Words

moralists
morality
morality play
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Morality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/morality. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on morality

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about morality

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of asunder

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All