amoral

adjective

amor·​al (ˌ)ā-ˈmȯr-əl 

(ˌ)a-,

-ˈmär-

1

a

: having or showing no concern about whether behavior is morally right or wrong

amoral politicians

an amoral, selfish person

b

: being neither moral nor immoral

specifically : lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply

Science as such is completely amoral.

—W. S. Thompson

2

: being outside or beyond the moral order or a particular code of morals

amoral customs

amoralism

(ˌ)ā-ˈmȯr-ə-ˌli-zəm 

(ˌ)a-

-ˈmär-

noun

amorality

ˌā-mə-ˈra-lə-tē 

ˌa-

-(ˌ)mȯ-

noun

amorally

ˌā-ˈmȯr-ə-lē 

(ˌ)a-

-ˈmär-

adverb

Examples of amoral in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Morning Show pulls enough from contemporary news stories to resemble a 2020s update of The Newsroom, but with a funhouse-mirror slant toward the gleefully amoral rather than the Sorkin-ly preachy. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024

Building a lexicon around shame creates an easy dichotomy − one that separates foods, and our desire for them, into good and bad, sinful and pure, moral and amoral. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024

One runs hot, brilliant, amoral, and insatiable; the other, deliberate and circumspect, cold and damp as some eyeless cave creature. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2024

Neville is being more immediately threatened by the developer’s local thug, Egg (David St. Louis), completely amoral and frightening but with a lovely singing voice. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 2 + moral entry 1

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

amoral

adjective

amor·​al ā-ˈmȯr-əl 

-ˈmär-

: not being moral nor immoral

amorally

-ə-lē 

adverb