moral authority
noun
: trustworthiness to make decisions that are right and good
The scandal has undermined the government's moral authority.
Examples of moral authority in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The poll, which asked respondents to grade current and former presidents on 10 characteristics, including administrative skills, moral authority and economic management, placed him 45th out of all the former U.S. presidents.
—
Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
But as a devoted fan of The Hero comics since childhood, Cootie still believes in the character's message that law enforcement is society's moral authority.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 14 June 2023
Our moral authority is often presumed, especially when our children are under threat.
—Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
During the conversation on Tuesday, a USAID employee, Hannah Funk, questioned whether the United States was squandering its moral authority on the world stage by rushing arms and equipment into Israel during its military campaign.
—John Hudson, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
But as long as the administration sidesteps the reality of Israeli abuses in Gaza and applies the rules of military assistance selectively, the moral authority claimed by the United States will slip further away.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Yet for all its moral authority, Lange’s work was also a vector for manipulation and propaganda.
—Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Each respondent was asked to grade current and former presidents on 10 characteristics, including administrative skills, moral authority and economic management.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024
Steven has more moral authority than anyone else on episodic TV.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024
Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
But as a devoted fan of The Hero comics since childhood, Cootie still believes in the character's message that law enforcement is society's moral authority.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 14 June 2023
Our moral authority is often presumed, especially when our children are under threat.
—Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
During the conversation on Tuesday, a USAID employee, Hannah Funk, questioned whether the United States was squandering its moral authority on the world stage by rushing arms and equipment into Israel during its military campaign.
—John Hudson, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
But as long as the administration sidesteps the reality of Israeli abuses in Gaza and applies the rules of military assistance selectively, the moral authority claimed by the United States will slip further away.
—Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
Yet for all its moral authority, Lange’s work was also a vector for manipulation and propaganda.
—Kriston Capps, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Each respondent was asked to grade current and former presidents on 10 characteristics, including administrative skills, moral authority and economic management.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024
Steven has more moral authority than anyone else on episodic TV.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moral authority.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near moral authority
Cite this Entry
“Moral authority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20authority. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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