morality
noun
mo·ral·i·ty
mə-ˈra-lə-tē 
mȯ-
plural moralities
1
a
: a moral discourse, statement, or lesson
ended his lecture with a trite morality
b
: a literary or other imaginative work teaching a moral lesson
"Aesop's Fables" is famous as a morality.
2
a
: a doctrine or system of moral conduct
the basic law which an adequate morality ought to state—
Marjorie Grene
Marjorie Grene
b
moralities plural
: particular moral principles or rules of conduct
we were all brought up on one of these moralities—Psychiatry
Psychiatry3
: conformity to ideals of right human conduct
admitted the expediency of the law but questioned its morality
4
: moral conduct : virtue
morality today involves a responsible relationship toward the laws of the natural world—P. B. Sears
P. B. SearsExamples of morality in a Sentence
The group is calling for a return to traditional morality.
two groups with clashing moralities
The decision may be legally justified, but I question its morality.
Recent Examples on the Web
Approval from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, much like the morality police, requires artists to master abstraction, ensuring their work remains powerful yet permissible.
—Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
An anti-Disney morality tale seeks modern morality.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Mar. 2025
Personal manners are the surface of public morality.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
His research interests include political ideology, identity, morality, inequality, and diversity in organizations.
—Harvard Business Review, 14 Mar. 2025
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Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
An anti-Disney morality tale seeks modern morality.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Mar. 2025
Personal manners are the surface of public morality.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
His research interests include political ideology, identity, morality, inequality, and diversity in organizations.
—Harvard Business Review, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for morality
Cite this Entry
“Morality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morality. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
morality
noun
mo·ral·i·ty
mə-ˈral-ət-ē
plural moralities
1
: moral quality : virtue
judge the morality of an action
2
: a system of moral rules
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