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

See Examples For:

moral code

We should be clear, too, that Bernie Moreno’s decision to speak out against Miller doesn’t seem to stem from an obligation to his family or his own moral code.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

But if there’s an opportunity, I don’t think I would do something that really went against my own moral code.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

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

Africa has slipped the floor out from under my righteous house, my Adah moral code.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver