Meaning & use

moral

adjective·Academic

Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior, or conforming to accepted standards of good conduct.

See it in a sentence

She felt a moral obligation to report the accident she had witnessed.

The debate raised difficult moral questions about the treatment of animals.

A note on using this word

As a noun, 'a moral' refers to the lesson a story teaches, distinct from the adjective describing right and wrong conduct.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A lesson about right behavior drawn from a story, fable, or experience.

The moral of the fable is that patience is often rewarded.

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