道徳の定義と意味 - メリアム・ウェブスター

MORAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Est. 1828 Dictionary Definition adjective noun adjective 2 adjective noun Did you know? Synonyms Synonym Chooser Example Sentences Word History Phrases Containing Rhymes Entries Near Related Articles Cite this Entry Citation Kids Definition Kids More from M-W Show more Show more Citation Kids More from M-W Save Word To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In moral 1 of 2 adjective mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl ˈmär- Synonyms of moral 1 a : of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior : ethical moral judgments Each story teaches a moral lesson. b : expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior a moral poem c : conforming to a standard of behavior that is considered right and good by most people took a moral position on the issue though it cost him the nomination … his battle wounds from Vietnam gave him the moral authority [= trust in and respect for the righteousness of one's principles] to answer the chicken hawks who opposed the contraction of the military. — Dana Milbank d : sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment a moral obligation e : capable of right and wrong action a moral agent 2 : probable though not proved : virtual a moral certainty 3 : perceptual or psychological rather than tangible or practical in nature or effect moral support Though they lost the election, they considered it a moral victory because they had won over so many former opponents. She counted on her friends for moral support . [= emotional encouragement rather than practical help] morally ˈmȯr-ə-lē ˈmär- adverb moral 2 of 2 noun mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl ˈmär- ; sense 3 is mə-ˈral 1 a : the moral significance or practical lesson (as of a story) The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. b : a passage pointing out usually in conclusion the lesson to be drawn from a story 2 morals plural a : moral practices or teachings : modes of conduct An authoritative code of morals has force and effect when it expresses the settled customs of a stable society … — Walter Lippmann b : ethics The science of morals endeavors to divide men into the good and the bad … — J. W. Krutch 3 : morale The casualties did not shake the moral of the soldiers. Did you know? Ethics vs Morals : Is there a difference? Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used. Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong: It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test. He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society. Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto , 16 Oct. 2014 While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity: Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing. Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs. Jennifer Foote, Newsweek , 23 July 1990 In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible: Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.” Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post , 12 Oct. 2016 The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet… Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student , 18 Oct. 2016 Synonyms of moral Relevance Adjective ethical honorable honest true nice good Noun principles norms standards ethics morality See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Choose the Right Synonym for moral moral , ethical , virtuous , righteous , noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good. moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong. the basic moral values of a community ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity. committed to the highest ethical principles virtuous implies moral excellence in character. not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious. wished to be righteous before God and the world noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character. had the noblest of reasons for seeking office Examples of moral in a Sentence Adjective Nor did these lawyers and bankers walk about suffused with guilt. They had the moral equivalent of teflon on their soul. Church on Sunday, foreclose on Monday. — Norman Mailer , New York Review of Books , 27 Mar. 2002 … trip-wire sensitivity to perceived insult often leads to unjustifiable firings and other moral and legal imbroglios. — John McWhorter , New Republic , 14 Jan. 2002 The modern liberal state was premised on the notion that in the interests of political peace, government would not take sides among the differing moral claims made by religion and traditional culture. — Francis Fukuyama , Atlantic , May 1999 It was our desire for a moral world, the deep wish to assert the existence of goodness, that generated, as it continues to do, political fantasy. — Arthur Miller , Timebends , 1987 The author avoids making moral judgments. Each story teaches an important moral lesson. He felt that he had a moral obligation to help the poor. We're confident she has the moral fiber to make the right decision. Their behavior was not moral . Animals are not moral creatures and are not responsible for their actions. Noun The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have. The moral here is: pay attention to the warning lights in your car. Socrates was accused of corrupting the morals of the youth of Athens. The author points to recent cases of fraud as evidence of the lack of morals in the business world. See More Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback . Adjective Patrick, who framed it as a moral choice, handed the decision to Mira. — Anna Wiener, New Yorker , 4 May 2026 What frustrates me is that the Board has invoked emergency powers for rent policy while failing to declare an actual public health emergency for unsheltered homelessness — the one domain where the legal, moral , and practical case is overwhelming. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News , 4 May 2026 Noun The movie, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 3, showed us how to use our magic and morals to decide whether to embrace necromancy and the occult. — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE , 3 May 2026 And the moral of the story is to be nice to the creepy guys in the gas station. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter , 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moral Word History Etymology Adjective and Noun Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin moralis , from mor-, mos custom First Known Use Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Time Traveler The first known use of moral was in the 14th century See more words from the same century Phrases Containing moral moral ambiguity moral compass moral hazard moral imperative moral philosophy moral victory pre - moral the moral high ground Rhymes for moral aural chloral choral coral floral forel lauryl loral quarrel sorel sorrel toral See All Rhymes for moral Browse Nearby Words morainic moral moral ambiguity See all Nearby Words Articles Related to moral Commonly Confused Words Quiz Take a (break/brake) and (pore/pour) over this (cache/cachet/cash) of questions about commonly confused words. On 'Moral' and 'Morale' The difference between what is right and what feels good. A List of Most Commonly Confused Words Your one-stop clarification shop Cite this Entry Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster “Moral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral. Accessed 6 May. 2026. Copy Citation Kids Definition moral 1 of 2 adjective mor·​al ˈmȯr-əl ˈmär- 1 a : of or relating to the judgment of right and wrong in human behavior : ethical b : expressing or teaching an idea of right behavior a moral poem c : agreeing with a standard of right behavior : good moral conduct d : able to choose between right and wrong 2 : likely but not proved : virtual a moral certainty morally -ə-lē adverb moral 2 of 2 noun 1 : the lesson to be learned from a story or an experience 2 plural : moral conduct a high standard of morals 3 plural : moral teachings or rules More from Merriam-Webster on moral Nglish: Translation of moral for Spanish Speakers Last Updated: 5 May 2026 - Updated example sentences Love words? Need even more definitions? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Merriam-Webster unabridged More from Merriam-Webster Word of the Day flamboyant See Definitions and Examples » Get Word of the Day daily email! Popular in Grammar & Usage See More More Commonly Mispronounced Words Regarding the Incorrect Use of 'Decimate' 5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'? The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.' See More Popular in Wordplay See More The Longest Long Words List Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from? 9 Other Words for Beautiful Was 'nervous Nellie' a real person? 12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World See More