moral
UK /ˈmɒɹəl/ · US /ˈmoɹəl/ adjective, noun, verb, proper noun
Forms morals moraling moralling moraled moralled
- adjective Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude. “moral judgments; a moral poem”
- adjective Conforming to a given standard of right behaviour. “a moral action”
- adjective Being sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment.
- adjective Capable of right and wrong action. “a moral agent”
- adjective Probable but not proved. “a moral certainty”
- adjective Positively affecting the mind, confidence, or will. “a moral victory; moral support”
- noun (of a narrative) The ethical significance or practical lesson. “The moral of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is that if you repeatedly lie, people won't believe you when you tell the truth.”
- noun (chiefly in the plural) Moral practices or teachings: modes of conduct. “a candidate with strong morals”
- noun (of a media) A depiction of good or heroic actions.
- noun (obsolete) A morality play.
- noun (slang, dated) A moral certainty.
- noun (slang, dated) An exact counterpart.
- verb (intransitive) To moralize.
- proper noun A surname from Spanish.
- proper noun A township in Shelby County, Indiana, United States.
Synonyms
ethical good decent righteous acceptable appropriate courteous decorous mannerly proper incorruptible noble virtuous virtual ethics mores message lesson
Antonyms
immoral unethical corrupt unscrupulous amoral non-moral pseudomoral unmoral
Etymology
From Middle English moral, from Old French moral, from Latin mōrālis (“relating to manners or morals”)
(first used by Cicero, to translate Ancient Greek ἠθικός (ēthikós, “moral”)), from mos (“manner, custom”).
Borrowed from Spanish Moral.
Unknown
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to the rules by which such intentions and actions ought to be directed; relating to the practice, manners, or conduct of men as social beings in relation to each other, as respects right and wrong, so far as they are properly subject to rules.
- adjective Conformed to accepted rules of right; acting in conformity with such rules; virtuous; just; as, a moral man. Used sometimes in distinction from religious; as, a moral rather than a religious life.
- noun The doctrine or practice of the duties of life; manner of living as regards right and wrong; conduct; behavior; --usually in the plural.
- noun The inner meaning or significance of a fable, a narrative, an occurrence, an experience, etc.; the practical lesson which anything is designed or fitted to teach; the doctrine meant to be inculcated by a fiction; a maxim.
Etymology [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “moral”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details