moral

[mawr-uhl, mor-]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical.

   moral attitudes.

2. expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work.

3. founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom.

   moral obligations.

4. capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct.

   a moral being.

5. conforming to the rules of right conduct (immoral ).

   a moral man.

   Synonyms: honorable, virtuous, open, straightforward, honest, upright

6. virtuous in sexual matters; chaste.

7. of, relating to, or acting on the mind, feelings, will, or character.

   moral support.

8. resting upon convincing grounds of probability; virtual.

   a moral certainty.

noun

1. the moral teaching or practical lesson contained in a fable, tale, experience, etc.

2. the embodiment or type of something.

3. morals, principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.

   Synonyms: morality, integrity

moral

/ ˈmɒrəl /

adjective

1. concerned with or relating to human behaviour, esp the distinction between good and bad or right and wrong behaviour

   moral sense

2. adhering to conventionally accepted standards of conduct

3. based on a sense of right and wrong according to conscience

   moral courage

   moral law

4. having psychological rather than tangible effects

   moral support

5. having the effects but not the appearance of (victory or defeat)

   a moral victory

   a moral defeat

6. having a strong probability

   a moral certainty

7. law (of evidence, etc) based on a knowledge of the tendencies of human nature

noun

1. the lesson to be obtained from a fable or event

   point the moral

2. a concise truth; maxim

3. (plural) principles of behaviour in accordance with standards of right and wrong

Other Word Forms

• morally adverb
• moralless adjective
• antimoral adjective
• hypermoral adjective
• hypermorally adverb
• overmoral adjective
• overmorally adverb
• premoral adjective
• premorally adverb
• pseudomoral adjective
• quasi-moral adjective
• quasi-morally adverb
• supermoral adjective
• supermorally adverb
• undermoral adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of moral¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin mōrālis, equivalent to mōr- (stem of mōs ) “usage, custom” + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of moral¹

C14: from Latin mōrālis relating to morals or customs, from mōs custom

Synonym Study

Morals, ethics refer to rules and standards of conduct and practice. Morals refers to generally accepted customs of conduct and right living in a society, and to the individual's practice in relation to these: the morals of our civilization. Ethics now implies high standards of honest and honorable dealing, and of methods used, especially in the professions or in business: ethics of the medical profession.

Example Sentences

Ms. Keaton’s Kay, an outsider to the Corleone family, carries the burden of being the films’ sole moral voice, the only one who rejects the Mafia’s twisted and bloody codes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Withdrawing funding for a promising experimental vaccine makes no financial or moral sense.

Read more on Salon

Citing Boluarte's "permanent moral incapacity," Congress kicked the lightning-fast impeachment proceedings into motion late Thursday, garnering support from across the political spectrum, including parties once loyal to her.

Read more on Barron's

An overwhelming majority of lawmakers from across the political spectrum approved her ousting on grounds of "permanent moral incapacity".

Read more on BBC

Boluarte was impeached Friday by opposition lawmakers on grounds of “moral incapacity,” a legal mechanism that has been used by Congress to oust previous presidents.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ethical 
• good 
• honest 
• noble 
• principled 
• proper 
• righteous 

When To Use

What does moral mean?

Moral describes something involved with or related to principles of what is considered righteous behavior, as in The wise man has offered moral guidance to many people.The word is used as a noun (especially in the plural morals) to refer to such principles. In this sense, morals are used as a basis to determine right and wrong and guide a person to act in a righteous or honorable manner, as in I don’t cheat because it goes against my morals.The word moral is also used to describe something that follows such principles—something that is considered the right thing to do. If something is considered moral in this way, it is thought to be seen as acceptable by society or in the context of one’s religion. If something is not moral, it is said to be immoral, meaning wrong.Moral is also commonly used as a noun to mean a lesson or teaching that is contained in a story or fable, as in The moral of the story was that a person should not be afraid to ask for help. The point of most fairy tales and children’s stories is to teach important morals to children.Moral is often used in overlapping ways with the word ethical, and the word morals is often used in similar ways to the word ethics, which refers to moral principles or rules of conduct. The word moral is more likely to be used in religious contexts, but both moral and ethical are used in nonreligious contexts.Moral should not be confused with the word morale, which refers to a person’s emotional or mental condition.Example: I think the key to being a moral person is thinking about not just your intentions but the consequences of your actions.