Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense moralizes, present participle moralizing, past tense, past participle moralizedregional note: in BRIT, also use moralise
verb
If you say that someone is moralizing, you are critical of them for telling people what they think is right or wrong, especially when they have not been asked their opinion.
[disapproval]
As a dramatist I hate to moralize. [VERB]
moralizinguncountable noun
We have tried to avoid any moralising.
moralize in British English
or moralise (ˈmɒrəˌlaɪz)
verb
1. (intransitive)
to make moral pronouncements
2. (transitive)
to interpret or explain in a moral sense
3. (transitive)
to improve the morals of
Derived forms
moralization (ˌmoraliˈzation) or moralisation (ˌmoraliˈsation)
noun
moralizer (ˈmoralˌizer) or moraliser (ˈmoralˌiser)
noun
moralize in American English
(ˈmɔrəlˌaɪz; ˈmɑrəlaɪz)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈmoralˌized or ˈmoralˌizing
1.
to think, write, or speak about matters of right and wrong, often in a self-righteous or tedious way
verb transitive
2.
a.
to interpret or explain in terms of right and wrong
b.
to point out the moral in or draw a moral from
3.
to improve the morals of
Derived forms
moralization (ˌmoraliˈzation)
noun
moralizer (ˈmoralˌizer)
noun
Word origin
Fr moraliser < LL moralizare < L moralis
Examples of 'moralize' in a sentence
moralize
They moralize that you can only win salvation and happiness in some other world, and then only by sacrificing your life in this one.