mores

American  

[mawr-eyz, -eez, mohr-] / ˈmɔr eɪz, -iz, ˈmoʊr- /

plural noun

Sociology.

1. folkways of central importance accepted without question and embodying the fundamental moral views of a group.

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mores British  

/ ˈmɔːreɪz /

plural noun

1. sociol the customs and conventions embodying the fundamental values of a group or society

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mores Cultural  

1. The customs and manners of a social group or culture. Mores often serve as moral guidelines for acceptable behavior but are not necessarily religious or ethical.

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Etymology

Origin of mores

1905–10; < Latin mōres, plural of mōs usage, custom

Compare meaning

How does mores compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mores vs. folkways

Explanation

Mores are the customs, norms, and behaviors that are acceptable to a society or social group. If your personal morals are in disagreement with local mores, you should be prepared to be annoyed every time you read the local Letters to the Editor. Mores and morals have similar meanings — mores are the morals of a group or society itself. They are not necessarily based on written law and they can change. The mores of the Victorian era prescribed modesty for women. A Victorian traveling to our time would probably be shocked by current mores that allow women to wear shorts.

Example Sentences

Their ability to enact change depended on their willingness to defy current custom and mores.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Social mores are changing, with childlessness no longer viewed as unusual or undesirable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

Though “Seven Veils” isn’t as undeniable and scathing as something like “Tár,” it’s a compelling study of the shifting belief about how great art is made, upended by contemporary mores.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2025

The true power of the Oscars is as a televised time capsule — of the fashion of the time, the social mores and the evolution of an artist’s personal style.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025

But to a generation of writers after Wharton that structure—the lives and mores of the rich, the wellborn, and the climbers—proved endlessly diverting.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times