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moralism

American  
[mawr-uh-liz-uhm, mor-] / ˈmɔr əˌlɪz əm, ˈmɒr- /

noun

  1. the habit of moralizing.

  2. a moral maxim.

  3. emphasis, especially undue emphasis, on morality.

  4. the practice of morality, as distinct from religion.


moralism British  
/ ˈmɒrəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. the habit or practice of moralizing

  2. a moral saying

  3. the practice of moral principles without reference to religion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of moralism

First recorded in 1820–30; moral + -ism

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.

See Examples For:

“The biggest change is moving from climate moralism into climate realism,” said Yair Reem, partner at Extantia Capital, a Berlin-based VC firm.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 30, 2025

Born in Virginia and educated in history and political science at Johns Hopkins University, Wilson became a respected intellectual in his fields with an interest in public service and a profound sense of moralism.

From Textbooks Jul. 28, 2021

Stabler is actually married — his wife, Kathy, a beleaguered but supportive high-school sweetheart — and comes to his job with old-school morals and white-knight moralism: defender of the weak with a notoriously short fuse.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 8, 2021

And he seems less driven by moralism than bound by legalism.

From Washington Post May 24, 2019

Clearly Theophilus Cibber's comical, lyrical exploitation in The Harlot's Progress of Hogarth's designs exhibits a more coherent dramatic structure than the tentative, disjointed medley of music and moralism in The Rake's Progress.

From The Harlot's Progress, The Rake's Progress (MS., CA. 1778-1780) by Anonymous

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