Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

moral

/ˈmoɹəl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.46 in modern English

Syllables: moral
IPA: /ˈmoɹəl/

7

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude.

adj

Conforming to a given standard of right behaviour.

adj

Being sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment.

adj

Capable of right and wrong action.

adj

Probable but not proved.

adj

Positively affecting the mind, confidence, or will.

noun

The ethical significance or practical lesson.

noun

Moral practices or teachings: modes of conduct.

Example Sentences

"moral judgments; a moral poem"
"a moral obligation"
"She had wandered without rule or guidance in a moral wilderness."
"a moral action"
"The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator."
"a moral agent"

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₁-der. Proto-Italic *mōs Latin mōs Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin mōrālis Old French moralbor. Middle English moral English moral From Middle English moral, from Old French moral, from Latin mōrālis (“relating to manners or morals”) (first used by Cicero, to translate Ancient Greek ἠθικός (ēthikós, “moral”)), from mos (“manner, custom”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: moral, mōrālis

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmoɹəl/
British English: /ˈmɒɹəl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

more moral (comparative) most moral (superlative) morals (plural) morals (present, singular) moraling (US, participle) moralling (UK, participle) moraled (US, participle) moraled (US, past) moralled (UK, participle) moralled (UK, past)

Derived Forms

ethicomoral extramoral hypermoral medicomoral moralfag moralistic moralization moralless morally moralness moralphobia nonmoral

Phrases

double moral juridico-moral moral agency moral agent moral arithmetic moral authority moral bankruptcy moral circle

Frequently Paired Words

ethical morale morality moralize morals mores

Synonyms

ethical good decent righteous acceptable appropriate courteous decorous mannerly proper incorruptible noble

Antonyms

immoral unethical corrupt unscrupulous amoral non-moral pseudomoral unmoral

Rhymes With

oral coral floral laurel immoral quarrel choral aural amoral balmoral sorrel morell

Questions

How do you pronounce moral?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmoɹəl/.
What does moral mean?: Of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behaviour, especially conforming to principles of rectitude.
Where does moral come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce moral

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “moral”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmoɹəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “moral”.
Repeat and practice — Say “moral” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.