moral

1 adjective

1 ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG (only before noun) connected with the principles of what is right and wrong behaviour, and with the difference between good and evil: a man of high moral standards | You don't know the circumstances of the divorce, so don't make moral judgments about it. | moral dilemma/issue (=a subject that involves morals): the abortion issue, one of the great moral dilemmas | moral sense (=ability to understand the difference between right and wrong): Babies are born without a moral sense.

2 BASED ON WHAT IS RIGHT (only before noun) based on your ideas about what is right, rather than on what is legal or practical: moral responsibility/duty: You have a moral responsibility to help people in need. | moral courage (=the courage to do what you believe is right): Does he have the moral courage necessary to lead the country? | moral authority (=influence that you have because people accept that your beliefs are right): The UN feels that it has the moral authority to send troops to the area. | moral fibre BrE fiber AmE (=the emotional strength to do what you believe is right)

3 moral support encouragement that you give by expressing approval or interest, rather than by giving practical help: He went along to give moral support.

4 moral victory a situation in which you show that your beliefs are right and fair, even if you do not win the argument: We felt we had won a moral victory in the debate.

5 STORY a moral story, play etc is one that teaches or shows good behaviour

6 PERSON always behaving in a way that is based on strong principles about what is right and wrong

—compare amoral, immoral, —see also: morally 2 noun (C)

1 morals (plural) principles or standards of good behaviour, especially in matters of sex: The novel reflects the morals and customs of the time. | public morals (=the standards of behaviour, especially sexual behaviour, expected by society): The sex shop was deemed a danger to public morals. | loose morals old-fashioned or humorous (=low standards of sexual behaviour resulting in someone having many sexual partners)

2 a practical lesson about what to do or how to behave, which you learn from a story or from something that happens to you: the moral of sth is: The moral of the film was that crime does not pay. | draw a moral (=understand what a story or event is teaching you)