moral

American  

[mawr-uhl, mor-] / ˈmɔr əl, ˈmɒr- /

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 (opposed to 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.

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noun

• morals
  plural

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 British  

/ 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

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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

Usage

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.

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• morals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of moral

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

Explanation

The moral of a story is the lesson that story teaches about how to behave in the world. Moral comes from the Latin word mores, for habits. The moral of a story is supposed to teach you how to be a better person. If moral is used as an adjective, it means good, or ethical. If you have a strong moral character, you are a good member of society. If someone is a cheat and a liar, you might say, "She is not a moral person."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

moral morals

For the Ga Mantse, admitting fault does not dilute the guilt of European empires; rather, it solidifies Africa's moral standing and sets an example as to how to move forward.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

It remains a mystery why the smartest machines in the universe need our moral support, but researchers inside the frontier labs do have theories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

"The moral victory is already mine," Binface told AFP at the counting centre early Friday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

There were “many efforts at that time to define a so-called Christian moral politics around what they call family values, personal responsibility, what they defined as appropriate expression of sexuality and patriotism,” Drake said.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Two andys together—this isn’t a moral question, it’s a practical question.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

“But I do have beliefs, I have morals, and I’ll always stand on those and be true to who I am,” she added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

You want a portfolio that matches your morals.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

He saw himself as a normal guy and stuck to his morals and that's why he mixed with everyone and why everyone at the club got on with him.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

The civil code would also allow judges to base some rulings on vaguely defined "good morals" -- a provision Human Rights Watch warned would be "opening the door to arbitrary interpretation".

From Barron's ● May 17, 2026

She had always been nice about her morals; she grew nicer still.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Related Words

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