Moral

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: mor=al

CIDE DICTIONARY

Moral, a. [F., fr. It. moralis, fr. mos, moris, manner, custom, habit, way of life, conduct.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Keep at the least within the compass of moral actions, which have in them vice or virtue."  [1913 Webster]

  "Mankind is broken loose from moral bands."  [1913 Webster]

  "She had wandered without rule or guidance in a moral wilderness."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "The wiser and more moral part of mankind."  [1913 Webster]
•  Capable of right and wrong action or of being governed by a sense of right; subject to the law of duty.  [1913 Webster]

  "A moral agent is a being capable of those actions that have a moral quality, and which can properly be denominated good or evil in a moral sense."  [1913 Webster]
•  Acting upon or through one's moral nature or sense of right, or suited to act in such a manner; as, a moral arguments; moral considerations. Sometimes opposed to material and physical; as, moral pressure or support.  [1913 Webster]
•  Supported by reason or probability; practically sufficient; -- opposed to legal or demonstrable; as, a moral evidence; a moral certainty.  [1913 Webster]
•  Serving to teach or convey a moral; as, a moral lesson; moral tales.  [1913 Webster]

Moral agent, a being who is capable of acting with reference to right and wrong. -- Moral certainty, a very high degree or probability, although not demonstrable as a certainty; a probability of so high a degree that it can be confidently acted upon in the affairs of life; as, there is a moral certainty of his guilt. -- Moral insanity, insanity, so called, of the moral system; badness alleged to be irresponsible. -- Moral philosophy, the science of duty; the science which treats of the nature and condition of man as a moral being, of the duties which result from his moral relations, and the reasons on which they are founded. -- Moral play, an allegorical play; a morality. [Obs.] -- Moral sense, the power of moral judgment and feeling; the capacity to perceive what is right or wrong in moral conduct, and to approve or disapprove, independently of education or the knowledge of any positive rule or law. -- Moral theology, theology applied to morals; practical theology; casuistry.

Moral, n. 

•  The doctrine or practice of the duties of life; manner of living as regards right and wrong; conduct; behavior; -- usually in the plural.  [1913 Webster]

  "Corrupt in their morals as vice could make them."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thus may we gather honey from the weed,
  And make a moral of the devil himself."  [1913 Webster]

  "To point a moral, or adorn a tale."  [1913 Webster]

  "We protest against the principle that the world of pure comedy is one into which no moral enters."  [1913 Webster]
•  A morality play. See Morality, 5.  [1913 Webster]

Moral, v. i. 

 To moralize.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Moral, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a concerned with goodness or badness of human character or behaviour, or with the distinction between right and wrong. b concerned with accepted rules and standards of human behaviour.
2 a conforming to accepted standards of general conduct. b capable of moral action (man is a moral agent).
3 (of rights or duties etc.) founded on moral law.
4 a concerned with morals or ethics (moral philosophy). b (of a literary work etc.) dealing with moral conduct.
5 concerned with or leading to a psychological effect associated with confidence in a right action (moral courage; moral support; moral victory).
--n.
1 a a moral lesson (esp. at the end) of a fable, story, event, etc. b a moral maxim or principle.
2 (in pl.) moral behaviour, e.g. in sexual conduct.

Idiom

moral certainty probability so great as to allow no reasonable doubt. moral law the conditions to be satisfied by any right course of action. moral majority the majority of people, regarded as favouring firm moral standards (orig. Moral Majority, name of a right-wing US movement). moral philosophy the branch of philosophy concerned with ethics. moral pressure persuasion by appealing to a person's moral sense. Moral Re-Armament
1 = OXFORD GROUP.
2 the beliefs of this organization, esp. as applied to international relations. moral science systematic knowledge as applied to morals. moral sense the ability to distinguish right and wrong.

Derivative

morally adv.

Etymology

ME f. L moralis f. mos moris custom, pl. mores morals

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Moral

adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.

It is sayd there be a raunge of mountaynes in the Easte, on one syde of the which certayn conducts are immorall, yet on the other syde they are holden in good esteeme; wherebye the mountayneer is much conveenyenced, for it is given to him to goe downe eyther way and act as it shall suite his moode, withouten offence.
_Gooke's Meditations_

THESAURUS

Moral

Christian, adage, admonishment, admonition, alarm, ana, analects, angelic, aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm, assignment, axiological, axiom, behavior, belief, blameless, brocard, byword, canon, catchword, caution, caveat, chalk talk, chaste, clean, code, collected sayings, commandment, conduct, conscientious, convention, creditable, current saying, customs, decent, deferential, deterrent example, dictate, dictum, discourse, disquisition, distich, duteous, dutiful, epigram, erect, estimable, ethical, ethics, ethological, example, exercise, exposition, expression, fair, final notice, final warning, form, formula, full of integrity, general principle, gnome, godly, golden rule, golden saying, good, guideline, guiding principle, habits, harangue, high-minded, high-principled, highly respectable, hint, homework, homily, honest, honorable, ideals, immaculate, imperative, incorruptible, instruction, integrity, inviolate, irreproachable, just, law, law-abiding, law-loving, law-revering, lecture, lecture-demonstration, lesson, manly, maxim, message, mitzvah, modest, monition, moral lesson, moralistic, morality, moralization, moralizing, morals, mores, mot, motto, noble, norm, notice, notification, obedient, object lesson, observant, oracle, ordinance, phrase, pithy saying, point, practices, preachment, preachy, precept, prescript, principium, principle, principled, principles, probity, proper, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, pure, recital, recitation, rectitude, regulation, reputable, respectable, respectful, right, right-minded, righteous, rubric, rule, saintlike, saintly, saw, saying, scruples, scrupulous, sentence, sententious expression, seraphic, sermon, sermonizing, set task, settled principle, skull session, slogan, sloka, spotless, stainless, standard, standards, sterling, stock saying, straight, sutra, talk, task, teaching, teachy, tenet, text, threat, tip-off, true-dealing, true-devoted, true-disposing, true-souled, true-spirited, truehearted, truism, ultimatum, unblemished, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, undefiled, unimpeachable, unspotted, unstained, unsullied, untarnished, upright, uprighteous, upstanding, verbum sapienti, verse, virtuous, warning, warning piece, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, working principle, working rule, worthy, yeomanly

ROGET THESAURUS

Moral

Duty

N duty, what ought to be done, moral obligation, accountableness, liability, onus, responsibility, bounden duty, imperative duty, call, call of duty, accountability, allegiance, fealty, tie engagement, part, function, calling, morality, morals, decalogue, case of conscience, conscientiousness, conscience, inward monitor, still small voice within, sense of duty, tender conscience, superego, the hell within, dueness, propriety, fitness, seemliness, amenability, decorum, to prepon, the thing, the proper thing, the right thing to do, the proper thing to do, ethics, ethology, deontology, aretology, moral philosophy, ethical philosophy, casuistry, polity, observance, fulfillment, discharge, performance, acquittal, satisfaction, redemption, good behavior, obligatory, binding, imperative, peremptory, stringent, behooving, incumbent on, chargeable on, under obligation, obliged by, bound by, tied by, saddled with, due to, beholden to, bound to, indebted to, tied down, compromised, in duty bound, amenable, liable, accountable, responsible, answerable, right, meet, moral, ethical, casuistical, conscientious, ethological, with a safe conscience, as in duty, bound, on one's own responsibility, at one's own risk, suo periculo, in foro conscientiae, quamdiu se bene gesserit, dura lex sed lex, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, honos habet onus, leve fit quod bene fertur onus, loyaute m'oblige, simple duty bath no place for fear, stern daughter of the voice of God, there is a higher law than the Constitution.

Virtue

N virtue, virtuousness, morality, moral rectitude, integrity, nobleness, morals, ethics, cardinal virtues, merit, worth, desert, excellence, credit, self-control, self-denial, well-doing, good actions, good behavior, discharge of duty, fulfillment of duty, performance of duty, well-spent life, innocence, virtuous, good, innocent, meritorious, deserving, worthy, desertful, correct, dutiful, duteous, moral, right, righteous, right- minded, well-intentioned, creditable, laudable, commendable, praiseworthy, above all praise, beyond all praise, excellent, admirable, sterling, pure, noble, whole-souled, exemplary, matchless, peerless, saintly, saint-like, heaven-born, angelic, seraphic, godlike, virtuously, adj, e merito, esse quam videri bonus malebat, Schonheit vergeht Tugend besteht, virtue the greatest of all monarchies, virtus laudatur et alget, virtus vincit invidiam.

Judgment

N judgment, result, conclusion, upshot, deduction, inference, ergotism, illation, corollary, porism, moral, estimation, valuation, appreciation, judication, dijudication, adjudication, arbitrament, arbitrement, arbitration, assessment, ponderation, valorization, award, estimate, review, criticism, critique, notice, report, decision, determination, judgment, finding, verdict, sentence, decree, findings of fact, findings of law, res judicata, plebiscite, voice, casting vote, vote, opinion, good judgment, judge, umpire, arbiter, arbitrator, asessor, referee, censor, reviewer, critic, connoisseur, commentator, inspector, inspecting officer, twenty-twenty hindsight, armchair general, monday morning quarterback, judging, judicious, determinate, conclusive, on the whole, all things considered, a Daniel come to judgment, and stand a critic, hated yet caress'd, it is much easier to be critical than to be correc, la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile, nothing if not critical, O most lame and impotent conclusion.

Maxim

N maxim, aphorism, apothegm, apophthegm, dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb, sentence, mot, motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis, axiom, theorem, scholium, truism, postulate, first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition), reflection, conclusion, golden rule, principle, principia, profession of faith, settled principle, accepted principle, formula, accepted fact, received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim, true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying, aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric, axiomatic, gnomic, as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.