moral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmȯr-əl How to pronounce moral (audio)
Definition of moralnext
1
as in ethical
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue the kind of moral behavior that is expected of everyone in the parish's youth organization

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honorable
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong a moral decision to refrain from sexual relations until after marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moral

2 of 2

noun

as in principle

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective moral differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of moral are ethical, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words 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

When is ethical a more appropriate choice than moral?

The synonyms ethical and moral are sometimes interchangeable, but ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

When might noble be a better fit than moral?

Although the words noble and moral have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

In what contexts can righteous take the place of moral?

In some situations, the words righteous and moral are roughly equivalent. However, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

When could virtuous be used to replace moral?

While the synonyms virtuous and moral are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of moral
Adjective
So Cloudflare’s action is more of a deliberate play on societal morals, and not the law itself. —John Werner, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 She is accused of corrupting public morals with her provocative dancing, The Telegraph reported. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025
Noun
Each episode aims to challenging legal and moral questions about free speech, educational authority, criminal evidence, and more. —Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 21 July 2025 Essentially, a moral commitment to protecting people defines ITM4G. Its inspections don’t stop at device functionality. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for moral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moral
  1. ethical
  2. honorable
  3. principle
  4. honest
  5. conscientious
  6. value
  7. true
  8. theory
Adjective
  • The primary concerns should be whether a lawyer is competent and ethical and whether another state’s licensing processes reasonably assure that.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2025
  • That legal gray area is further complicated by AI training methods that often rely on human feedback from non-experts, which raises significant ethical concerns.
    — Wes Kilgore, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of ethical
Adjective
  • Its own sly twist casts Robert Mitchum—the original Cady—as the elderly, honorable police lieutenant Elgart, and Gregory Peck, 1962’s Bowden, as Cady’s defense attorney.
    — Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025
  • To this attack, some men have responded by lending their support to individuals that embody none of those honorable traits that men aspire to internalize.
    — Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 21 July 2025
Definition of honorable
Noun
  • That means improving scalability and speed without sacrificing its core principles of decentralization and security — and ideally making those properties even stronger.
    — MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Integrate impact considerations into core business processes rather than treating social benefit as an add-on, making prosocial principles fundamental to system design and operation.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of principle
Adjective
  • This is a great way to spot medical fraud or an honest human error like a miscoding of services.
    — Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Rebuilding company trust requires honest leadership, true accountability and a thorough examination of the company’s values — and whether they’re being lived or merely listed on the company website.
    — Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • New hires can't learn by example because there's no one to watch, and conscientious peers can't see when newcomers are struggling.
    — David Meade, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • Each one should be the result of a deliberate, conscientious decision by the only person elected to make it.
    — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 19 July 2025
Definition of conscientious
Noun
  • The heat dome created by high pressure has been influencing the weather over the eastern third of the country, causing heat index values of 105 to 110 in cities across the Deep South like Little Rock, Memphis and New Orleans.
    — Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
  • Bathroom renovations can improve mood, functionality, and home value.
    — Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 25 July 2025
Definition of value
Adjective
  • This rings especially true for me, a vegetarian for nearly two decades.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 26 July 2025
  • This was certainly true of the Mets last summer when Taylor played his way into the lineup more consistently than Harrison Bader.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 July 2025
Definition of true
Noun
  • But Margulis took her theory further; in her view, symbiosis was the driving force of evolution, and many entities were likely composites.
    — Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 23 July 2025
  • Energized by these findings, Harland presented his theory to colleagues.
    — Laura Poppick July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Definition of theory

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moral
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Cite this Entry

“Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moral. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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