Synonyms

moral code

American

[mawr-uhl kohd, mor-] / ˈmɔr əl ˈkoʊd, ˈmɒr- /

noun

a set of rules or principles of ethical conduct for a person or a group of people.

The moral code and religious law of Islam deals with broad topics, such as crime and politics, but also with personal matters, like diet and prayer.
She refused to take the job, saying that it was incompatible with her personal moral code.

Etymology

Origin of moral code

First recorded in 1750–60

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.

Watching onscreen characters trying to get ahead has stoked endless debate over the intersection of career ambition and moral code.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

A student who did not want to be named told the BBC that the university enforced a strict moral code despite not being a religious institution.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025

“It doesn’t preach a certain religion, but it definitely shows what a moral code we all should live by is.”

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

Although Shaw is a hero, he has a flexible moral code.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2024

He measured himself and those around him by an impossibly rigorous moral code.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023