noun

morals

MOR-uhlz/mˈɔrʌlz/

Principles or standards of right and wrong behavior.

The adult's morals guide the decision to return a lost purse to its owner.

An adult chooses to return a lost purse and helps its owner, lived principles of honesty and kindness.

Etymology

morLatincustom, manner

+alLatinpertaining to

+sEnglishplural

The root concerns customs and manners, but morals focuses on conduct judged as right or wrong. The plural noun first described a person's moral qualities, connecting character with the principles that guide behavior.

In context

Exiled148:05

the gang did not kill unnecessarily it's not really until the Blackwater Massacre that we really hear anything about the gang having changed in any way of their morals

Red Dead Redemption 2: The Best Story in Gaming - A Video Essay

More examples

He refuses to cheat because it goes against his morals.
They share similar morals despite their different backgrounds.
The town's strict morals shape its attitudes toward sex.

Forms

morals

moral adjective — Concerned with right and wrong behavior.

morality noun — Beliefs about right and wrong conduct.

Similar words

ethics: Often refers to formal standards within professions or groups.
principles: Broader guiding beliefs, not necessarily about right and wrong.
values: Includes priorities and preferences beyond questions of right and wrong.