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moral
[ mawr-uhl, mor- ]
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 ( immoral ):
a moral man.
Synonyms: honorable, virtuous, open, straightforward, honest, upright
- 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.
moral
/ ˈmɒrəl /
adjective
- concerned with or relating to human behaviour, esp the distinction between good and bad or right and wrong behaviour
moral sense
- adhering to conventionally accepted standards of conduct
- based on a sense of right and wrong according to conscience
moral law
moral courage
- having psychological rather than tangible effects
moral support
- having the effects but not the appearance of (victory or defeat)
a moral victory
a moral defeat
- having a strong probability
a 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 event
point the moral
- a concise truth; maxim
- plural principles of behaviour in accordance with standards of right and wrong
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Derived Forms
- ˈmorally, adverb
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Other Words From
- moral·less adjective
- anti·moral adjective
- hyper·moral adjective
- hyper·moral·ly adverb
- over·moral adjective
- over·moral·ly adverb
- pre·moral adjective
- pre·moral·ly adverb
- pseudo·moral adjective
- quasi-moral adjective
- quasi-moral·ly adverb
- super·moral adjective
- super·moral·ly adverb
- under·moral adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of moral1
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Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
The report stands out in that it doesn’t explicitly discuss moral and ethical issues related to CRISPR babies.
Those in the private sector have a moral responsibility to do the right thing not just by shareholders, but also by the stakeholders whose lives they impact—employees, consumers, and the communities in which they operate.
Plato’s student Aristotle tried to bring Platonism down to earth, and grounded moral value in the essential nature of organisms.
That’s why I’m here, to fulfill my moral obligation as a meat eater.
Biohackers, true to its promise, manages to lightly touch upon a few related ethical and moral questions, like genetic modification of stem cells, access to advanced gene therapies, as well as privacy and consent surrounding genomic data.
The story of fluoridation reads like a postmodern fable, and the moral is clear: a scientific discovery might seem like a boon.
Bratton might have said something that was closer to a real-world moral equivalence.
That had to give them an enormous reservoir of moral strength and solace.
But it remains a moral crime to vilify good cops who have made the city safe, saving thousands of lives.
For far too long, we have been coasting on a moral authority to which we long ago lost any clear title.
Everything is topsy-turvy in Europe according to our moral ideas, and they don't have what we call "men" over here.
Such mutual distrust necessarily creates or accompanies a lack of moral courage.
And so these features take on a kind of moral rightness before they are judged of as pleasing to the eye and as beautiful.
Once he permitted himself a digression, that he might point a moral for the benefit of his servant.
The naïve conception of sky and earth, and lastly the moral issue of the story, are no less instructive.
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More About Moral
What does moral mean?
Moral describes something involved with or related to principles of what is considered righteous behavior, as in The wise man has offered moral guidance to many people.
The word is used as a noun (especially in the plural morals) to refer to such principles. In this sense, morals are used as a basis to determine right and wrong and guide a person to act in a righteous or honorable manner, as in I don’t cheat because it goes against my morals.
The word moral is also used to describe something that follows such principles—something that is considered the right thing to do. If something is considered moral in this way, it is thought to be seen as acceptable by society or in the context of one’s religion. If something is not moral, it is said to be immoral, meaning wrong.
Moral is also commonly used as a noun to mean a lesson or teaching that is contained in a story or fable, as in The moral of the story was that a person should not be afraid to ask for help. The point of most fairy tales and children’s stories is to teach important morals to children.
Moral is often used in overlapping ways with the word ethical, and the word morals is often used in similar ways to the word ethics, which refers to moral principles or rules of conduct. The word moral is more likely to be used in religious contexts, but both moral and ethical are used in nonreligious contexts.
Moral should not be confused with the word morale, which refers to a person’s emotional or mental condition.
Example: I think the key to being a moral person is thinking about not just your intentions but the consequences of your actions.
Where does moral come from?
The first records of moral come from around 1300. It ultimately comes from the Latin mōrālis, meaning “concerned with ethics.”
Moral refers to a complex topic that we have only lightly touched. It is often used in everyday speech as a synonym of good in the sense of heroic or honorable behavior. While most people would usually agree that what is moral and what is good are the same thing, these principles are often relative to a culture, religion, or other beliefs that guide a group of people.
Even within a group itself, people may not agree with something that is said to be moral. For example, a religious text may make a moral judgement about human sexuality that an individual person may disagree with. Life often forces people to resolve moral dilemmas like this.
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What are some other forms related to moral?
- morally (adverb)
- moraless (adjective)
- antimoral (adjective)
- hypermoral (adjective)
- pseudomoral (adjective)
- undermoral (adjective)
What are some synonyms for moral?
What are some words that share a root or word element with moral?
What are some words that often get used in discussing moral?
What are some words moral may be commonly confused with?
How is moral used in real life?
Moral is a very common that describes something as being righteous or acceptable behavior.
I salute @pbhushan1 for the courage he has shown for upholding the moral values of the constituonal order. #PrashantBhushan #prashanthbhushan
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 20, 2020
Let's keep in mind just because something is illegal (leaks) doesn't mean it wasn't moral. Just as legal acts can be immoral.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) June 6, 2017
today I woke up at 10 am feeling proud that i finally got up early. Wanted to reward myself with 15 more minutes of sleep. Then i woke up again at 4pm.
Moral of the story – dont reward yourself too early
— FARIZ JABBA (@farizjabba) September 10, 2020
Try using moral!
True or False?
What is considered moral is the same for everyone.
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