moral authority
Americannoun
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authority that comes from the principles of what is right and wrong rather than just from laws.
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the quality of being considered trustworthy and influential regarding what is right and is wrong.
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a person or institution considered trustworthy and influential regarding what is right and is wrong.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
It’s a deeper reflection, he suggested, of why and how these scandals keep happening within the “contemporary guru economy,” which has three elements that don’t mix well together: moral authority, celebrity culture and the marketplace.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
More than that, allies add legitimacy and moral authority.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
An ICJ opinion is not legally binding, but the court believes it carries "great legal weight and moral authority".
From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025
They have sought to use their presence to comfort migrants and lend a sense of moral authority to the proceedings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025
She was considered the moral authority of the community.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
