moral code

American  

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

noun

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of moral code

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for a soft approach on those defying the country’s moral code for now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 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

He lives by his own moral code, but you're not necessarily saying it's a good one all the time.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2024

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

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer