moralist

American  

[mawr-uh-list, mor-] / ˈmɔr ə lɪst, ˈmɒr- /

noun

1. a person who teaches or inculcates morality.

2. a philosopher concerned with the principles of morality.

3. a person who practices morality.

4. a person concerned with regulating the morals of others, as by imposing censorship.

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moralist British  

/ ˈmɒrəlɪst /

noun

1. a person who seeks to regulate the morals of others or to imbue others with a sense of morality

2. a person who lives in accordance with moral principles

3. a philosopher who is concerned with casuistic discussions of right action, or who seeks a general characterization of right action, often contrasted with a moral philosopher whose concern is with general philosophical questions about ethics

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Other Word Forms

• antimoralist
  noun
• moralistic
  adjective
• moralistically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of moralist

First recorded in 1615–25; moral + -ist

Explanation

A moralist is someone who has very strong opinions about what is right and what is wrong. Most moralists are offended when other people don't share their values. Morals — personal beliefs about what is good or acceptable behavior — are extremely important to a moralist. In fact, moralists tend to feel so strongly about their own rules that they expect others to follow them precisely. The earliest meaning of moralist was simply "moral person," although it came to mean "person who moralizes," or makes authoritative comments on moral issues, often with a sense of superiority. The Latin root word, moralis, means "pertaining to morals."

Example Sentences

“No explanation or apology followed” after the screening, Patty O’Toole wrote in “The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made.”

From Washington Times • Jul. 30, 2019

“No explanation or apology followed” after the screening, Patty O’Toole wrote in “The Moralist: Woodrow Wilson and the World He Made.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2019

Now, a new biography of Susan Sontag claims she was the brains behind her first husband Philip Rieff’s most famous book, Freud: The Mind of the Moralist.

From The Guardian • May 15, 2019

Moralist bogeyman and 2 Live Crew leader Luther Campbell scored a Top 20 hit, the Springsteen-sampling “Banned in the U.S.A.,” under the nom de rap Luke featuring the 2 Live Crew.

From Slate • Jul. 31, 2015

Their Name, their Years, spelt by th' unlettered Muse, The Place of Fame and Elegy supply: And many a holy Text around she strews, That teach the rustic Moralist to dye.

From An Elegy Wrote in a Country Church Yard (1751) and The Eton College Manuscript by Gray, Thomas