Origin: Latin suffix -al
Moral has 7 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun
The ethical significance or practical lesson.
"The teacher paused to explain the moral of the story, emphasizing how honesty always leads to better outcomes in life."
In plain English: A moral is the main lesson or right-and-wrong message that a story tries to teach.
"The teacher praised the student for showing great moral character."
Usage: Use the noun "moral" to refer to the main lesson or principle derived from a story, fable, or experience. It typically appears in phrases like "the moral of the story," indicating what the narrative teaches about right and wrong.
To moralize.
"Stop lecturing me about how I should live my life every time we disagree; you're just moralizing again."
In plain English: To moralize is to talk about right and wrong in a way that makes people feel judged.
"The committee will vote to moralize the school code next week."
Usage: As a verb, moralize means to lecture others about right and wrong behavior in a preachy or annoying way. Use this term when describing someone who habitually offers unsolicited ethical judgments on the actions of others.
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
"moral sense"
"a moral scrutiny"
"a moral lesson"
"a moral quandary"
"moral convictions"
"a moral life"
Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially for teaching right behaviour.
"The teacher used a fable as a moral story to show the students how honesty is always better than cheating."
In plain English: Moral means having good character and doing the right thing.
"He felt bad because he made an immoral choice to cheat on his friend."
Usage: Use "moral" as an adjective to describe something that teaches or illustrates a lesson about right and wrong behavior, such as the moral of a fable. Avoid confusing it with "morale," which refers to the confidence and enthusiasm of a group.
A surname, from Spanish.
"The town's historical society invited Mr. Moral to speak about his family's long-standing legacy in the region."
The word "moral" entered English via Middle and Old French from the Latin mōrālis, which originally meant "relating to manners or morals." This Latin term was first used by Cicero to translate the Ancient Greek concept of ethics.