morality

noun

(uncountable) Recognition of the distinction between good and evil or between right and wrong; respect for and obedience to the rules of right conduct; the mental disposition or characteristic of behaving in a manner intended to produce morally good results.

(countable) A set of social rules, customs, traditions, beliefs, or practices which specify proper, acceptable forms of conduct.

(countable) A set of personal guiding principles for conduct or a general notion of how to behave, whether respectable or not.

(countable) A morality play.

(uncountable, rare) Moral philosophy, the branch of philosophy which studies the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

(countable, rare) A particular theory concerning the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

(countable, archaic) A lesson or pronouncement which contains advice about proper behavior.

Roots

mosmor- · Latin · custom, manner

Synonyms for morality

moralsn ethicsn rectituden decencyn probityn moralen virtuen proprietyn moralizationn rightnessn

Synonyms & related words for morality

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Words related to morality

Explore words related to morality — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include unmorality, eudemonism, nonmoral, moralistic, moralism, nonethical, amoralism, unmoral. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for morality

Common synonyms for morality include morals, ethics, rectitude, decency, probity, morale, virtue, propriety — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does morality come from?

The word morality breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root mor-, from Latin mos (“custom, manner”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.