moralistic

adjective

mor·​al·​is·​tic ˌmȯr-ə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce moralistic (audio)
ˌmär-
1
: characterized by or expressive of a concern with morality
2
: characterized by or expressive of a narrow moral attitude
moralistically adverb

Examples of moralistic in a Sentence

While a moralistic speech won't convince kids not to try drugs, a story about people affected by drugs might. parental opinion was divided on the school's moralistic curriculum
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His disdain for the brothers’ moralistic literary choices was clear. Time, 23 July 2025 Intervention by authorities has Indian moviegoers fuming, who accuse the censors of making moralistic changes while adopting a double standard for Bollywood films, which are often laced with innuendos, misogyny and sensual scenes. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 16 July 2025 But Europeans cannot simply revert to a moralistic tendency to tell others what to do. Josep Borrell Fontelles, Foreign Affairs, 27 June 2025 The same moralistic spirit that once defined Minnesota’s politics now fuels passionate polarization. David Schultz, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for moralistic

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moralistic was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Moralistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moralistic. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

moralistic

adjective
mor·​al·​is·​tic ˌmȯr-ə-ˈlis-tik How to pronounce moralistic (audio)
ˌmär-
1
: teaching or pointing out morals
a moralistic story
2
: having or expressing a conservative moral attitude
a moralistic attitude toward the problems of youth

More from Merriam-Webster on moralistic

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