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moral

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
mor·al  (môrl, mr-)
adj.
1. Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character: moral scrutiny; a moral quandary.
2. Teaching or exhibiting goodness or correctness of character and behavior: a moral lesson.
3. Conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior; virtuous: a moral life.
4. Arising from conscience or the sense of right and wrong: a moral obligation.
5. Having psychological rather than physical or tangible effects: a moral victory; moral support.
6. Based on strong likelihood or firm conviction, rather than on the actual evidence: a moral certainty.
n.
1. The lesson or principle contained in or taught by a fable, a story, or an event.
2. A concisely expressed precept or general truth; a maxim.
3. morals Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual conduct, with reference to standards of right and wrong: a person of loose morals; a decline in the public morals.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mrlis, from ms, mr-, custom; see m-1 in Indo-European roots.]

moral·ly adv.
Synonyms: moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous
These adjectives mean in accord with right or good conduct. Moral applies to personal character and behavior, especially sexual conduct: "Our moral sense dictates a clearcut preference for these societies which share with us an abiding respect for individual human rights" Jimmy Carter.
Ethical stresses idealistic standards of right and wrong: "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants" Omar N. Bradley.
Virtuous implies moral excellence and loftiness of character: "The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous" Frederick Douglass.
Righteous emphasizes moral uprightness; when it is applied to actions, reactions, or impulses, it often implies justifiable outrage: "He was . . . stirred by righteous wrath" John Galsworthy.

moral
Adjective
1. concerned with or relating to the distinction between good and bad or right and wrong behaviour: moral sense
2. based on a sense of right and wrong according to conscience: moral duty
3. displaying a sense of right and wrong; (of support or a victory) psychological rather than practical
Noun
1. a lesson about right or wrong behaviour that is shown in a fable or event
2. morals principles of behaviour in accordance with standards of right and wrong [Latin moralis relating to morals or customs]
morally adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.moralmoral - the significance of a story or event; "the moral of the story is to love thy neighbor"
meaning, signification, import, significance - the message that is intended or expressed or signified; "what is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance of a red traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese characters"; "the import of his announcement was ambiguous"
Adj.1.moral - concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles; "moral sense"; "a moral scrutiny"; "a moral lesson"; "a moral quandary"; "moral convictions"; "a moral life"
chaste - morally pure (especially not having experienced sexual intercourse); "a holy woman innocent and chaste"
good - morally admirable
honourable, honorable - worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect; "an honorable man"; "led an honorable life"; "honorable service to his country"
righteous - characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice; "the...prayer of a righteous man availeth much"- James 5:16
virtuous - morally excellent
immoral - deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong
2.moral - psychological rather than physical or tangible in effect; "a moral victory"; "moral support"
mental - involving the mind or an intellectual process; "mental images of happy times"; "mental calculations"; "in a terrible mental state"; "mental suffering"; "free from mental defects"

moral
adjective 1. ethical, social, behavioural
plural noun 5. morality, standards, conduct, principles, behaviour, manners, habits, ethics, integrity, mores, scruples
Translations
Spanish moral [ˈmɔrl] adjmoral
nmoraleja;
morals nplmoralidad f; moral f

French moral [ˈmɔrl] adjmoral(e)
nmorale f;
morals nplmoralité f

German moral [ˈmɔrl] adjmoralisch;
(welfare, values) → sittlich;
(behaviour) → moralisch einwandfrei
nMoral f;
morals npl (principles, values) → Moralvorstellungen pl;
moral support → moralische Unterstützung f

Italian moral [ˈmɔrəl] adjmorale
nmorale f;
morals nplmoralità

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The moral I draw is that the writer should seek his reward in the pleasure of his work and in release from the burden of his thought; and, indifferent to aught else, care nothing for praise or censure, failure or success.
I can't tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit.
Since the objects of imitation are men in action, and these men must be either of a higher or a lower type (for moral character mainly answers to these divisions, goodness and badness being the distinguishing marks of moral differences), it follows that we must represent men either as better than in real life, or as worse, or as they are.
 
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