moral

1 of 2

adjective

mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)
ˈmär-
1
a
: of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical
moral judgments
b
: expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior
a moral poem
c
: conforming to a standard of right behavior
took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nomination
d
: sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment
a moral obligation
e
: capable of right and wrong action
a moral agent
2
: probable though not proved : virtual
a moral certainty
3
: perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect
a moral victory
moral support
morally
ˈmȯr-ə-lē How to pronounce moral (audio)
ˈmär-
adverb

moral

2 of 2

noun

mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)
ˈmär-;
sense 3 is
mə-ˈral How to pronounce moral (audio)
1
a
: the moral significance or practical lesson (as of a story)
The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have.
b
: a passage pointing out usually in conclusion the lesson to be drawn from a story
2
morals plural
a
: moral practices or teachings : modes of conduct
an authoritative code of morals has force and effect when it expresses the settled customs of a stable societyWalter Lippmann
b
: ethics
the science of morals endeavors to divide men into the good and the badJ. W. Krutch
3
: morale
The casualties did not shake the moral of the soldiers.

Did you know?

Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?

Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.

Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:

It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.

He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014

While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:

Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.

Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990

In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:

Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016

The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016

Choose the Right Synonym for moral

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good.

moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Examples of moral in a Sentence

Adjective Nor did these lawyers and bankers walk about suffused with guilt. They had the moral equivalent of teflon on their soul. Church on Sunday, foreclose on Monday. Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002
… trip-wire sensitivity to perceived insult often leads to unjustifiable firings and other moral and legal imbroglios. John McWhorter, New Republic, 14 Jan. 2002
The modern liberal state was premised on the notion that in the interests of political peace, government would not take sides among the differing moral claims made by religion and traditional culture. Francis Fukuyama, Atlantic, May 1999
It was our desire for a moral world, the deep wish to assert the existence of goodness, that generated, as it continues to do, political fantasy. Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
The author avoids making moral judgments. Each story teaches an important moral lesson. He felt that he had a moral obligation to help the poor. We're confident she has the moral fiber to make the right decision. Their behavior was not moral. Animals are not moral creatures and are not responsible for their actions. Noun The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. The moral here is: pay attention to the warning lights in your car. Socrates was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth of Athens. The author points to recent cases of fraud as evidence of the lack of morals in the business world.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
One approach is to embed principles drawing on established moral theories or frameworks developed by credible global institutions, such as UNESCO. François Candelon, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Yet, the moral lesson at the story’s center worked best in the 2008 film, when the performances and characters could stretch beyond the limits of one confining act. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Volunteers must have car insurance and medical insurance and be of good moral character with no felony convictions. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 But this Oscar belongs to Stone for charting the arc of Bella’s physical, intellectual and moral growth with the precision of an astronomer. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In a speech that began by quoting Abraham Lincoln, Hawley painted the legislation as a moral obligation that the government owed to the people who were exposed to the nuclear weapons that helped win World War II. Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The movement towards banning pesticides, championed by Minister Caesar, is presented not only as a practical necessity but also as a moral imperative. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The trip was born of the moral necessity to understand the injustices of colonial abuse. Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 Even among conservative evangelicals, a majority said IVF was either moral or not a moral issue at all, according to the 2013 Pew study. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The discussions following will implicate these in many of the situations discussed, but the focus will be on the less technical or legal perspective and rather on societal ethics and individual morals. Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Stand firm and don’t let your morals go to the wayside for them. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024 The global church should make their cultivation a top priority, especially if the alternative is a weakening of Catholic teaching on faith and morals. Tim Busch, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 Each storyteller is identified by a single signifier—Eurovision, the Lady with the Rings—and the stories that the speakers unwind (in a way properly reminiscent of the Decameron itself) leap wildly off topic, with the morals of their tales and the pandemic itself almost invisible. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 Thus, Holi pays tribute to the moral of the myth: Good will always triumph over evil. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2024 During negotiations on the morals clause, an Adidas lawyer, along with Mr. Wexler and Jim Anfuso, the brand’s general manager for Yeezy, refused to back down. Megan Twohey, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023 My life had collapsed, seemingly along with my morals. Zibby Owens, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2024 In France, the droit moral gives artists the legal right to object to—and even to prevent—the destruction of their art works. Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin moralis, from mor-, mos custom

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of moral was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near moral

Cite this Entry

“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moral

1 of 2 adjective
mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)
ˈmär-
1
a
: of or relating to the judgment of right and wrong in human behavior : ethical
b
: expressing or teaching an idea of right behavior
a moral poem
c
: agreeing with a standard of right behavior : good
moral conduct
d
: able to choose between right and wrong
2
: likely but not proved : virtual
a moral certainty
morally adverb

moral

2 of 2 noun
1
: the lesson to be learned from a story or an experience
2
plural : moral conduct
a high standard of morals
3
plural : moral teachings or rules

More from Merriam-Webster on moral

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