moralist

American  

[mawr-uh-list, mor-] / ˈmɔr ə lɪst, ˈmɒr- /

noun

1. a person who teaches or inculcates morality.

2. a philosopher concerned with the principles of morality.

3. a person who practices morality.

4. a person concerned with regulating the morals of others, as by imposing censorship.

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moralist British  

/ ˈmɒrəlɪst /

noun

1. a person who seeks to regulate the morals of others or to imbue others with a sense of morality

2. a person who lives in accordance with moral principles

3. a philosopher who is concerned with casuistic discussions of right action, or who seeks a general characterization of right action, often contrasted with a moral philosopher whose concern is with general philosophical questions about ethics

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Other Word Forms

• antimoralist noun
• moralistic adjective
• moralistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of moralist

First recorded in 1615–25; moral + -ist

Example Sentences

His most “persistent hater,” the pompous moralist Cato the Censor, railed at Scipio’s unseemly pride and alleged corruption.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

That law was spearheaded by Anthony Comstock, a Christian moralist activist and head of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice.

From Scientific American • Apr. 28, 2023

Mr. Johnson’s reputation as a Tory moralist suffered a setback when his own failings were exposed.

From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2023

He’s always been a moralist, concerned with our obligations to one another; now, an ongoing and intense debate over democracy and its threats has further exposed that.

From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2022

However, it is with the indirect results that the moralist is especially concerned; since remote consequences of action are especially to be considered in ethical questions.

From A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by Williams, C. M.