DictionaryvalueMoral principle
noun

value

A principle that guides judgments about right and wrong.

Honesty is a core value that guides her everyday decisions.

Etymology

Value originally concerns worth. A moral value is something a person regards as worthy and uses as a standard of judgment.

More examples

  • Our family values teach us to treat everyone fairly.
  • He refuses to betray his values for a promotion.
  • The candidates disagree, but they share some basic values.

Forms

value · values

ethical adjective — relating to principles of right and wrong

Similar words

principle
Emphasizes a guiding rule or belief for conduct.
ideal
Emphasizes a standard of goodness someone strives to achieve.
standard
Emphasizes a benchmark used to judge acceptable behavior.