Meaning & use
morally excellent
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
having a very high standard of right and wrong behavior; consistently choosing what is ethically right.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun or after a linking verb; the comparative is 'more morally excellent' and the superlative is 'most morally excellent'.
Patterns
- a morally excellent person
- a morally excellent decision
- be morally excellent
The judge was known as a morally excellent man who never accepted a bribe.
Her refusal to lie under oath was a morally excellent choice.
A morally excellent society protects its weakest members.
adjectivecomparable
describing an action or policy that is completely in line with accepted ethical principles.
Grammar: Often used to evaluate public policies, laws, or institutions rather than individual people.
Patterns
- a morally excellent policy
- morally excellent conduct
The new law was praised as a morally excellent response to the crisis.
The committee argued that the policy was morally excellent even if it was expensive.
Word forms
| comparative | more morally excellent |
|---|---|
| superlative | most morally excellent |
Common combinations
- a morally excellent person
- She is a morally excellent person who always treats others with fairness.
- a morally excellent decision
- Returning the lost wallet was a morally excellent decision.
- morally excellent conduct
- The soldiers were honored for their morally excellent conduct during the rescue.
- morally excellent society
- Philosophers debate what a morally excellent society would look like.
Synonyms and how they differ
- virtuous
- More common and slightly less formal; it describes a person who has good moral qualities, but it can sound a little old-fashioned.
- ethical
- Focuses on following rules or principles of right conduct; it can describe actions or businesses, not only people.
- upright
- Emphasizes honesty and strong moral character, often in a slightly literary or approving way.
- righteous
- Stronger and more emotional; it can suggest a person who is certain they are morally right, sometimes in a disapproving way.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: morally excellent or moralistic?
morally excellent vs moralistic
This describes someone who likes to tell others how to behave, often in a disapproving way. 'Morally excellent' is a positive judgment, while 'moralistic' is usually negative.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'morally excellent' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Morally excellent' describes ethical character or conduct, so it fits a person or decision, not food, speed, or price. The other options use the phrase with things that cannot be morally good or bad.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “morally excellent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.