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 ripeness of the material was, for him, in its depiction of morality. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 Lincoln lost that year, but the country benefited from their arguments over the legality and morality of slavery. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026 Not sincere, caring concern, and not questions about the legality or morality of Grace’s ultimatum. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026 As the New York Times reported last month, the company has even sought out religious scholars to discuss its efforts to instill the AI system with a sense of morality. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 15 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 slight reproach to which the virtue of patriotism is commonly liable, the noble are most likely to incur.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • War is above all, in their eyes, the occasion to demonstrate the most noble human virtues…energy, ​self-​mastery, sacrifice to a cause that is greater than oneself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of virtue
Noun
  • The timing of the letters and subpoenas, which were sent out in recent days, appear to run afoul of the Justice Department's own internal guidelines and historic norms limiting investigative steps ahead of a national election.
    — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • For California, the change is mainly aimed at drawing big-budget TV shows back to the state, where production in the category is roughly half below historical norms.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of norms
Noun
  • The Justice Department aims to send poll monitors to all 50 states in the 2026 midterms, marking an ambitious expansion of a longstanding federal initiative aimed at ensuring election integrity.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But when the firmware itself is compromised, the source and integrity of the update become especially important.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of integrity
Noun
  • To ensure top-tier data protection, the whole system is developed and operated under ISO 27001 standards, as per the release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Bowles distinguished between the legal standards for criminal prosecution and the university’s responsibility to address conduct that could threaten student safety or violate campus regulations.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of standards
Noun
  • But both share a simple honesty and embrace the utilitarian rather than making any pretentious claims to luxury.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
  • It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of honesty
Noun
  • Of course, for purposes of character arc, one of those good ones has to wake up to his own goodness.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Smoked carnitas, a play on Dominican carne salada made from brisket trimmings confited in their own fat, are a study in silky-fatty goodness, doused with spicy green aji verde.
    — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of goodness
Noun
  • Fit Check of the Week Tim Burton, iconoclast filmmaker extraordinaire, has a new capsule with Loewe, which has recreated characters and vignettes from The Nightmare Before Christmas as bags and charms.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Missi Pyle Pyle rounds out the new cast members to join Stick for the show’s second season, with details about her character still underwraps.
    — Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of character
Noun
  • Somehow, this fact seems to echo the rightness of the way things are naturally formed in the world—like the coloring of rock formations or the markings on an animal’s hide.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Christ Jesus demonstrated the rightness of God’s divine action in situations where people, natural elements, or situations seemed completely out of control.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 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 6 Nov. 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 quondam

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

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
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All