morality
Americannoun
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the quality of being moral
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conformity, or degree of conformity, to conventional standards of moral conduct
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a system of moral principles
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an instruction or lesson in morals
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short for morality play
Usage
What is morality? Morality is a conformity to the rules of good or virtuous conduct, as in Because he was leading a life according to morality, the knight declined the reward for rescuing the princess.Morality is also an individual person’s goodness or virtuousness, as in Batman’s morality would not allow him to kill any evildoers.Morality is also a system of rules regarding goodness or virtue, as in The Bible is the source of Christian morality.Morality is a very complex concept that refers to the written or unwritten rules that society uses to determine what good behavior is. Good here means not evil and refers to behavior that people agree is honorable, just, or virtuous.If you are concerned with morality, you want to be a good person and don’t want to commit evil acts. The rules of goodness that define morality are called morals and can come from many different sources, such as religion or cultural norms. The opposite of morality is immorality.Example: I try to live my life according to morality, so I always tell the truth.
Related Words
See goodness.
Other Word Forms
- antimorality adjective
- hypermorality noun
- premorality noun
Etymology
Origin of morality
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English moralite, from Late Latin mōrālitās; moral, -ity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He is not just a prolific creator but a mogul who owns his own studio, controls casting decisions and has cultivated a public image rooted in faith, morality and philanthropy.
From Salon
Today, the morality police—with their trademark green and white vans—have largely disappeared from the streets of the Iranian capital.
"Just as every individual needs to possess mindfulness, morality and wisdom -- people in power must also possess these."
From Barron's
The result is a much more somber, ruminative exploration of morality in governmental authority than the stylish violence of “Il Divo” and exploitative raunch of “Loro.”
From Los Angeles Times
A superb dramatist of social class, morality and love, Mr. Gurnah is a contemporary heir to George Eliot.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
