moral

moral

I

mor‧al¹ S3 W2 /ˈmɒrəl $ ˈmɔː-/ adjective1. [only before noun] relating to the principles of what is right and wrong behaviour, and with the difference between good and evil ⇨ morally, ethical:
    It is easy to have an opinion on a moral issue like the death penalty for murder.
    moral philosophy
    moral standards/values/principles
    I think you can run a business to the highest moral standards.
    If we accept that certain babies should be allowed to die, we place doctors in a moral dilemma.
    Man is gifted with a moral sense by which he distinguishes good from evil.
2. [only before noun] based on your ideas about what is right, rather than on what is legal or practical:
    The book places a high moral value on marriage and the family unit.
    The UN feels that it has the moral authority (=influence because people accept that its beliefs are right) to send troops to the area.
    moral duty/obligation/responsibility
    A man has a moral duty to obey the law.
    It isn’t just lack of moral fibre (=lack of the emotional strength to do what you believe is right) which leads to a rising divorce rate.
3. moral support encouragement that you give by expressing approval or interest, rather than by giving practical help:
    Dad came along to give me some moral support.
4. moral victory a situation in which you show that your beliefs are right and fair, even if you do not win:
    Through Joan of Arc, France won a great moral victory.
5. always behaving in a way that is based on strong principles about what is right and wrong
   OPP  immoral, amoral:
    a moral man of high integrity
6. take/claim/seize the moral high ground to claim that you are the only person who does what is morally right in a situation, with the intention of being noticed and considered to be good by the public
7. moral compass a way of recognizing what kind of behaviour is right or wrong:
    Has the government lost its moral compass?
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ moral + NOUN
   ▪ a moral standard/principle Has there been a decline in moral standards in our society?
   ▪ a moral value (=behaviour that a society believes is right and good) Schools teach moral values both by example and in lessons.
   ▪ a moral duty/obligation (=something you must do for moral reasons) If you have a pet, you have a moral obligation to take care of it.
   ▪ a moral judgment We shouldn't make moral judgements about the way other people live their lives.
   ▪ a moral imperative (=something that must be done for moral reasons) He felt that rescuing the hostages was a moral imperative.
   ▪ a moral code (=a set of beliefs about right and wrong that influences your behaviour) His own moral code is based on his religious beliefs.
   ▪ sb’s moral authority (=influence that someone has because people believe their principles are right) Corruption in government destroys its moral authority.
   ▪ moral fibre British English, moral fiber American English (=the emotional strength to do what is right) Single parents are sometimes treated as though they lack moral fibre.
   ▪ a moral issue a debate on the moral issues surrounding the use of animals in medical research
   ▪ a moral dilemma (=a difficult decision for moral reasons) Doctors face a moral dilemma when a patient can be kept alive but has no chance of real recovery.
   ▪ sb’s moral sense (=a feeling for what is right and what is wrong) Children’s moral sense develops over a number of years.
   ▪ moral superiority (=the idea that you are morally right and other people are not) He connects high social class with moral superiority.
   ▪ moral philosophy (=the study of moral principles and rules) a class in moral philosophy
   ▪ the moral order (=the way societies are organized according to moral standards) Hitler posed the greatest threat to the moral order of the world that history has ever seen.

II

moral² noun1. morals [plural] principles or standards of good behaviour, especially in matters of sex ⇨ ethics:
    the morals and customs of the Victorian period
    Values and morals are independent of religious faith.
    the corruption of public morals (=the standards of behaviour, especially sexual behaviour, expected by society)
    a young woman of loose morals (=low standards of sexual behaviour – often used humorously)
2. [countable] a practical lesson about what to do or how to behave, which you learn from a story or from something that happens to you ⇨ message
    moral of
    The moral of the film was that crime does not pay.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ morals all of the basic ideas that a person or group of people has about what is morally good and right: The man has no morals at all. | He felt that society's morals were declining, as shown by increases in public drunkenness and violence.
   ▪ morality ideas about what is right and wrong, and what is acceptable behaviour - used when talking about whether it is right to do a particular thing, or when talking about moral standards generally: Several advisers had very different views on the morality of the action (=on whether it was morally right). | They wanted to ban the film, on the grounds of protecting public morality.
   ▪ ethics moral rules for deciding what is right and wrong - often used about this as a subject that people study and discuss: Doctors must follow a strict code of ethics. | I'm not sure about the ethics of using human embryos for research (=I'm not sure that it is morally right).
   ▪ principles moral rules or beliefs about what is right and wrong, which make you decide what you should and should not do: He stuck to his principles and spoke out against injustice, despite the risks. | It's against their principles to kill any living thing.
   ▪ values your ideas about what is important in life: During the 1960s, many young people rejected their parents' values. | He stressed the importance of spiritual values.
   ▪ scruples beliefs about what is right and wrong that prevent you from doing bad things: She had no scruples about listening to their private conversation. | My scruples would not allow me to interfere in their relationship.