morally

as in innocently
with purity of thought and deed a politician who is in the habit of acting legally without behaving morally

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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 morally Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, Chinese stories have increasingly included nods to Chinese nationalist (not just communist) soldiers fighting bravely, thus placing a strong, victorious, and morally righteous China at the forefront of the postwar global order. Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025 At its peak, Battlefield 6’s story mode operates on the same wavelength as late-2000s military shooters, where morally gray acts of war are a dime a dozen, punctuated by the shock value of domestic threats played out with an immersive POV. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025 That would be John Ryan, the racist and otherwise morally corrupt LAPD officer in Paul Haggis’ Best Picture winner Crash. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025 Other comedians have pointed to the inconsistency of balking at performing in Saudi Arabia when other governments around the world also sponsor morally unjustifiable actions. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025 Shenderovich noted that, for the health of a polity, its norms—what’s considered morally permissible—can often matter more than the laws that formally govern it. Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025 But Rieff also invokes sickness in another sense, denoting that which is morally repugnant. Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 Finally, equity must be both fiscally and morally sound. Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025 In reality, refusing to participate in raids would be both legally possible and morally necessary. Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for morally
Adverb
  • His friend had innocently landed on that scene.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
  • In a thriller, the suspense is built around a challenge posed to the protagonist — the last big score before retiring, being innocently accused of a crime or accidentally getting involved in something dangerous and deadly.
    Anders de la Motte, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • After decades of minimalist, thin-rimmed glassware, the surrealist alternative makes sense within the pendulum swing toward maximalist design and the blurring of lines between art and the purely functional.
    Emily Johnson, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Running from deep became a common theme, as did dropping deep purely as a decoy to create room for others.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Unhealthy roots can’t properly absorb nutrients the plant needs.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The lawsuit alleges the property was not properly licensed for rental and did not have appropriate smoke detectors.
    Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • The glorious sweep of progress toward Roman civilization and prosperity means the end of an idyllic, virtuously rustic Golden Age.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • Conservatives are right to mourn his death and to be righteously angry.
    Nicole Russell, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Morally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/morally. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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