noun
-
a person who seeks to regulate the morals of others or to imbue others with a sense of morality
-
a person who lives in accordance with moral principles
-
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
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of moralist
Explanation
A moralist is someone who has very strong opinions about what is right and what is wrong. Most moralists are offended when other people don't share their values. Morals — personal beliefs about what is good or acceptable behavior — are extremely important to a moralist. In fact, moralists tend to feel so strongly about their own rules that they expect others to follow them precisely. The earliest meaning of moralist was simply "moral person," although it came to mean "person who moralizes," or makes authoritative comments on moral issues, often with a sense of superiority. The Latin root word, moralis, means "pertaining to morals."
Vocabulary lists containing moralist
Freakonomics
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ophelia
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
test
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
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
One need not be a moralist to harbor concerns about the effect of legalized betting on the integrity of college and professional sports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
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
You will not deny that moralist and philosopher, from Solomon down to our own days, have all been right in pointing out the vanity of all things.
From The Huguenot: (Volumes I-III) A Tale of the French Protestants. by G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
