moral value

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A belief or principle about what is right and wrong in behavior.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this sense: moral values. The singular can refer to one such principle.

   Patterns

   • moral values
   • traditional moral values
   • share moral values

   The two communities share many moral values, such as honesty and respect for elders.

   Some parents worry that television is weakening their children's moral values.

2. 2noununcountabletechnical

   The worth or importance that something has from a moral point of view.

   Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun in philosophy and ethics: the moral value of an action.

   Patterns

   • the moral value of something
   • have moral value

   Philosophers debate whether animals have moral value in their own right.

   The moral value of an action depends on the intention behind it, not just the result.

Word forms

Common combinations

traditional moral values

The party campaigned on a promise to protect traditional moral values.

share moral values

Good friends usually share similar moral values.

the moral value of something

The essay questions the moral value of telling a lie to avoid hurting someone.

moral values in society

Surveys show a slow change in moral values in society.

Synonyms and how they differ

ethical values

Very close; 'ethical' is often used for formal or professional standards.

principles

A broader word for rules of conduct, not always about right and wrong in a moral sense.

Word family

moral adjective

Concerned with right and wrong.

morality noun

Beliefs or principles about right and wrong behavior.

value noun

The importance or worth of something; also a belief about what is good.

Commonly confused: moral value or morale?

Practice

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