MORALITY

morality

(noun) concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

morality (countable and uncountable, plural moralities)

(uncountable) Recognition of the distinction between good and evil or between right and wrong; respect for and obedience to the rules of right conduct; the mental disposition or characteristic of behaving in a manner intended to produce morally good results.

(countable) A set of social rules, customs, traditions, beliefs, or practices which specify proper, acceptable forms of conduct.

(countable) A set of personal guiding principles for conduct or a general notion of how to behave, whether respectable or not.

(countable, archaic) A lesson or pronouncement which contains advice about proper behavior.

(countable) A morality play.

(uncountable, rare) Moral philosophy, the branch of philosophy which studies the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

(countable, rare) A particular theory concerning the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

Usage notes

• Although the terms morality and ethics may sometimes be used interchangeably, philosophical ethicists often distinguish them, using morality and its related terms to refer to actual, real-world beliefs and practices concerning proper conduct, and using ethics to refer to theories and conceptual studies relating to good and evil and right and wrong. In this vein, the American philosopher Brand Blanshard wrote concerning his friend, the eminent British ethicist G. E. Moore: "We often discussed ethics, but seldom morals. . . . He was a master in ethical theory, but did not conceive himself as specially qualified to pass opinions on politics or social issues."

Synonyms

• (recognition of / obedience to the rules of right conduct): decency, rectitude, righteousness, uprightness, virtuousness

• (personal guiding principles): morals

• (set of customs, traditions, rules of conduct): conventions, morals, mores

• (lesson or pronouncement which contains advice): homily

• (branch of philosophy): ethics, moral philosophy

• (particular theory concerning the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, etc.): ethics, moral philosophy

Antonyms

• (recognition of / obedience to the rules of right conduct): amorality, immorality

Anagrams

• molarity

Source: Wiktionary

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Mo*ral"i*ty, n.; pl. Moralities. Etym: [L. moralitas: cf. F. moralité.]

1. The relation of conformity or nonconformity to the moral standard or rule; quality of an intention, a character, an action, a principle, or a sentiment, when tried by the standard of right. The morality of an action is founded in the freedom of that principle, by virtue of which it is in the agent's power, having all things ready and requisite to the performance of an action, either to perform or not perform it. South.

2. The quality of an action which renders it good; the conformity of an act to the accepted standard of right. Of moralitee he was the flower. Chaucer. I am bold to think that morality is capable of demonstration. Locke.

3. The doctrines or rules of moral duties, or the duties of men in their social character; ethics. The end of morality is to procure the affections to obey reason, and not to invade it. Bacon. The system of morality to be gathered out of ... ancient sages falls very short of that delivered in the gospel. Swift.

4. The practice of the moral duties; rectitude of life; conformity to the standard of right; virtue; as, we often admire the politeness of men whose morality we question.

5. A kind of allegorical play, so termed because it consisted of discourses in praise of morality between actors representing such characters as Charity, Faith, Death, Vice, etc. Such plays were occasionally exhibited as late as the reign of Henry VIII. Strutt.

6. Intent; meaning; moral. [Obs.] Taketh the morality thereof, good men. Chaucer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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