moral advice

Meanings

1. 1phraseuncountable

   Guidance about what is right or wrong to do, especially in a difficult personal situation.

   Grammar: Uncountable: say "some moral advice" or "a piece of moral advice," not "a moral advice."

   Patterns

   • give someone moral advice
   • ask someone for moral advice
   • moral advice about something
   • moral advice on how to do something

   My aunt gave me moral advice when I could not decide whether to tell the truth.

   He asked his teacher for moral advice about the cheating he had seen.

   The book offers moral advice on how to treat friends fairly.

2. 2phraseuncountableformal

   Words that tell someone how they should behave, based on ideas of right and wrong.

   Grammar: Often used after verbs like "offer," "seek," or "ignore," and it can stand alone as a subject.

   Patterns

   • offer moral advice
   • seek moral advice
   • ignore moral advice

   The counselor offered moral advice rather than legal help.

   She ignored his moral advice and did what she wanted.

   Religious leaders often give moral advice to their communities.

Common combinations

give moral advice

Parents often give moral advice without being asked.

a piece of moral advice

That was the best piece of moral advice I have ever received.

moral advice about right and wrong

The story gives moral advice about right and wrong.

seek moral advice

When he felt lost, he sought moral advice from an older friend.

sound moral advice

Her sound moral advice helped him apologize.

Synonyms and how they differ

ethical guidance

More formal and often used for professional or written rules; "moral advice" is warmer and more personal.

counsel

A broader word for advice, often professional; it does not always involve questions of right and wrong.

guidance

Neutral and general; it can be about practical matters, while "moral advice" is specifically about right behavior.

Opposites

Word family

moral adjective

Concerned with right and wrong behavior.

morally adverb

In a way that relates to right and wrong.

morality noun

Ideas or rules about right and wrong behavior.

advise verb

To tell someone what you think they should do.

adviser noun

A person who gives advice.

Commonly confused: moral advice or advise? moral advice or moral?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “moral advice”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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