English Explanatory Dictionary

moral

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially for teaching right behaviour.
  2. Conforming to a standard of right behaviour; sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment.
  3. Capable of right and wrong action.
  4. Probable but not proved.
  5. Positively affecting the mind, confidence, or will.
noun
  1. The ethical significance or practical lesson.
  2. Moral practices or teachings: modes of conduct.
  3. A depiction of good or heroic actions.
  4. A morality play.
  5. A moral certainty.
  6. An exact counterpart.
verb
  1. To moralize.
name
  1. A surname from Spanish.
name
  1. A township in Shelby County, Indiana, United States.

Pronunciation

/ˈmɒɹəl/ /ˈmoɹəl/ en-us-moral.ogg /ˈmɑɹəl/

Word forms

moral more moral most moral morals moraling moralling moraled moralled

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”).

Synonyms

incorruptible noble righteous virtuous virtual ethics mores message

Antonyms

immoral unethical corrupt unscrupulous amoral non-moral pseudomoral unmoral

Related words

morale morality moralize morals mores

Derived words

double moral ethicomoral extramoral hypermoral juridico-moral medicomoral moral agency moral agent moral arithmetic moral authority moral bankruptcy moral circle moral code moral compass moral dilemma moral distress moral diversity moral duty moral event horizon moralfag moral fiber moral fibre moral futurism moral hazard moral high ground moral imperative moral injury moralistic moralization moral leper moralless moral low ground morally Moral Majority moral minimum moralness moral nihilism moral objectivism moral obligation moral of the story moral order moral panic moral philosophy moralphobia moral police moral policing moral realism moral relativism moral science moral sense moral suasion moral support moral system moral turpitude moral universe moral victory nonmoral postmoral premoral psychomoral
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