moral
/ˈmɒr.əl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Relating to ideas of right and wrong, or to how people should behave. It can also mean based on your own standards of good behaviour.
- She faced a moral choice.
- The issue raised moral questions.
- He acted with moral courage.
noun
The lesson or message of a story, fable, or event. It shows what people should learn from it.
- The moral of the story is honesty matters.
- What is the moral here?
- Everyone understood the moral quickly.
Adinary Nuance
Moral is about right and wrong, so it is different from ethical, which often sounds more formal and professional. It is also different from principled, which describes a person who follows strong values. Use moral when you mean judgement, duty, or a lesson.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đạo đức
- Spanish
- moral
- Chinese
- 道德
- Japanese
- 道徳
- Korean
- 도덕
Etymology
Moral comes from Latin moralis, meaning 'about customs or behaviour'. It entered English through Old French in the late Middle Ages.
Common phrases
moral valuesmoral choicemoral dutythe moral of the story
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is moral the same as ethical?
- They are similar, but moral is more about right and wrong in everyday life. Ethical often sounds more formal and professional.
- Can moral be a noun?
- Yes. As a noun, it means the lesson of a story or event.
- Is moral a formal word?
- It is common in both speech and writing. It can sound slightly serious in academic or business contexts.
- What is the moral of the story?
- It means the main lesson you should learn from the story.