moral certainty see under moral

moral /morˈəl/

adjective

1. Of or relating to character or conduct considered as good or evil
2. Ethical
3. Adhering to or directed towards what is right
4. Virtuous, esp in matters of sex
5. Capable of knowing right and wrong
6. Subject to moral law
7. Having an effect on the mind or will
8. Supported by evidence of reason or probability, opp to demonstrative
9. (eg of a victory) real or effective, if not apparent
10. Moralizing (Shakespeare)

noun

1. (in pl) writings on ethics
2. The doctrine or practice of the duties of life
3. Moral philosophy or ethics
4. Principles and conduct, esp sexual
5. (in sing) the practical lesson that can be drawn from anything
6. An exposition of such lesson by way of conclusion
7. A symbol (Shakespeare)
8. Morality (in this sense sometimes pronounced /mor-älˈ/ after Ger Moral or Fr morale)
9. /mor-älˈ/ confidence, morale (now rare)
10. A certainty (slang, now esp Aust)
11. An exact counterpart (archaic sl)

transitive verb and intransitive verb (archaic)

To moralize

morˈalism noun

1. A moral maxim
2. Moral counsel
3. Morality as distinct from religion

morˈalist noun

1. A person who teaches morals, or who practises moral duties
2. A moral as distinguished from a religious man
3. Someone who takes pride in his or her morality

moralistˈic adjective

moralistˈically adverb

morality /mor-alˈi-ti/ noun

1. The quality of being moral
2. That which renders an action right or wrong
3. The practice of moral duties apart from religion
4. Virtue
5. The doctrine of actions as right or wrong
6. Ethics
7. A medieval allegorical drama in which virtues and vices appear as characters (also morality play)

moralizāˈtion or moralisāˈtion noun

Act of moralizing, explanation in a moral sense

morˈalize or morˈalise transitive verb

1. To apply to a moral purpose
2. To explain in a moral sense
3. To make moral

intransitive verb

1. To speak or write on moral subjects
2. To make moral reflections or pronouncements, or speak in an admonitory tone about moral standards

morˈalizer or morˈaliser noun

morˈaller noun (Shakespeare)

A moralist

morˈally adverb

1. In a moral manner
2. In respect of morals
3. To all intents and purposes, practically

moral agent noun

A person who acts under a knowledge of right and wrong

moral certainty noun

A likelihood great enough to be acted on, although not capable of being certainly proved

moral courage noun

The power to face disapprobation and ridicule

moral defeat noun

A success so qualified as to count as a defeat, or to point towards defeat

moral faculty noun

Moral sense

moral hazard noun (economics)

The risk that people will behave imprudently when they will not be penalized for failure

moral imagination noun (esp US)

In business ethics, the ability to create new solutions to ethical problems

moral law noun

1. A law or rules for life and conduct, founded on what is right and wrong
2. The law of conscience
3. That part of the Old Testament which relates to moral principles, esp the ten commandments

moral majority noun

The majority of a society that is presumed to favour a strict moral code

moral philosophy noun

Ethics

Moral Rearmament noun

A movement succeeding the Oxford Group in 1938, advocating absolute private and public morality (abbrev MRA)

moral rights plural noun

Rights that the creator of a published work has in relation to the work (since 1988 legally enforceable)

moral sense noun

1. That power of the mind which knows or judges actions to be right or wrong, and determines conduct accordingly
2. Tropological interpretation of eg the Bible, seeking to establish some secondary meaning

moral support noun

Encouragement shown by approval rather than by active help

moral theology noun

Ethics treated with reference to a divine source

moral victory noun

A defeat in appearance, but in some important sense a real victory