morality

Knowing the difference between right and wrong and trying to behave in the right way.

• Children develop a sense of morality.
• She questioned the morality of lying to protect a friend.
• His actions showed a complete lack of morality.

Similar words: moral sense

Opposites: immorality

Common phrases: sense of morality, lack of morality, morality and justice, basic morality

A society's shared rules and beliefs about how people should behave.

• The law reflected the morality of that society.
• Traditional morality shaped their family life.
• Different cultures may have different systems of morality.

Similar words: moral code, ethics

Common phrases: public morality, traditional morality, social morality

Your own beliefs about what is right and wrong and how you should behave.

• Her morality prevents her from cheating.
• His personal morality changed as he grew older.
• We discussed how our morality affects everyday choices.

Similar words: principles, ethics, moral code

Common phrases: personal morality, your own morality, individual morality

The study of ideas about right and wrong and how people should behave.

• The course covers morality and political philosophy.
• She studies morality at university.
• Their lectures on morality explore why actions are right or wrong.

Similar words: ethics, moral philosophy

Common phrases: study of morality, theories of morality, morality and philosophy