moral

[ mawr-uhl, mor- ]

/ ˈmɔr əl, ˈmɒr- /

adjective

of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.

expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work.

founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.

capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct: a moral being.

conforming to the rules of right conduct (opposed to immoral): a moral man.

virtuous in sexual matters; chaste.

of, relating to, or acting on the mind, feelings, will, or character: moral support.

resting upon convincing grounds of probability; virtual: a moral certainty.

noun

the moral teaching or practical lesson contained in a fable, tale, experience, etc.

the embodiment or type of something.

morals, principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.

Nearby words

Origin of moral

1300–50; Middle English < Latin mōrālis, equivalent to mōr- (stem of mōs) usage, custom + -ālis -al¹

SYNONYMS FOR moral

5 upright, honest, straightforward, open, virtuous, honorable.

11 integrity, standards, morality. 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.

Related forms

mor·al·less, adjectivean·ti·mor·al, adjectivehy·per·mor·al, adjectivehy·per·mor·al·ly, adverb

o·ver·mor·al, adjectiveo·ver·mor·al·ly, adverbpre·mor·al, adjectivepre·mor·al·ly, adverbpseu·do·mor·al, adjectivequa·si-mor·al, adjectivequa·si-mor·al·ly, adverbsu·per·mor·al, adjectivesu·per·mor·al·ly, adverbun·der·mor·al, adjective

Can be confusedmoral morale (see synonym study at the current entry)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for moralless

moral

/ (ˈmɒrəl) /

adjective

concerned with or relating to human behaviour, esp the distinction between good and bad or right and wrong behaviourmoral sense

adhering to conventionally accepted standards of conduct

based on a sense of right and wrong according to consciencemoral courage; moral law

having psychological rather than tangible effectsmoral support

having the effects but not the appearance of (victory or defeat)a moral victory; a moral defeat

having a strong probabilitya moral certainty

law (of evidence, etc) based on a knowledge of the tendencies of human nature

noun

the lesson to be obtained from a fable or eventpoint the moral

a concise truth; maxim

(plural) principles of behaviour in accordance with standards of right and wrong

Derived Formsmorally, adverb

Word Origin for moral

C14: from Latin mōrālis relating to morals or customs, from mōs custom

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

Word Origin and History for moralless (1 of 2)

moral

adj.

mid-14c., "pertaining to character or temperament" (good or bad), from Old French moral (14c.) and directly from Latin moralis "proper behavior of a person in society," literally "pertaining to manners," coined by Cicero ("De Fato," II.i) to translate Greek ethikos (see ethics) from Latin mos (genitive moris) "one's disposition," in plural, "mores, customs, manners, morals," of uncertain origin. Perhaps sharing a PIE root with English mood (1).

Meaning "morally good, conforming to moral rules," is first recorded late 14c. of stories, 1630s of persons. Original value-neutral sense preserved in moral support, moral victory (with sense of "pertaining to character as opposed to physical action"). Related: Morally.

Word Origin and History for moralless (1 of 2)

moral

"moral exposition of a story," c.1500, from moral (adj.) and from French moral and Late Latin morale.