6 N‑COUNT The moral of a story or event is what you learn from it about how you should or should not behave. □ [+ of ] I think the moral of the story is let the buyer beware.
7 moral victory → see victory SYNONYMS moral NOUN 1
principle: It's not just a matter of principle.
belief: He refuses to compete on Sundays because of his religious beliefs.
morality: …standards of morality and justice in society.
integrity: I have always regarded him as a man of integrity. ADJ 3
ethicaclass="underline" …the moral and ethical standards in the school.
just: She fought honestly for a just cause and for freedom.
principled: She was a strong, principled woman.
good: The president is a good man.
mo|rale /mərɑː l, -ræ l/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Morale is the amount of confidence and cheerfulness that a group of people have. □ Many pilots are suffering from low morale.
mo|ra le boost|er (morale boosters ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to something that makes people feel more confident and cheerful as a morale booster . □ This win has been a great morale booster.
mora le-boosting ADJ [usu ADJ n] A morale-boosting action or event makes people feel more confident and cheerful. □ …the President's morale-boosting visit to the troops.
mo r|al fi |bre in AM, use moral fiber N‑UNCOUNT Moral fibre is the quality of being determined to do what you think is right. □ …a man of stern moral fibre.
mor|al|ise /mɒ rəla I z, [AM ] mɔː r-/ → see moralize
mor|al|ist /mɒ rəl I st, [AM ] mɔː r-/ (moralists ) N‑COUNT A moralist is someone who has strong ideas about right and wrong behaviour, and who tries to make other people behave according to these ideas.
mor|al|is|tic /mɒ rəl I st I k, [AM ] mɔː r-/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as moralistic , you are critical of them for making harsh judgments of other people on the basis of their own ideas about what is right and wrong. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He has become more moralistic.
mo|ral|ity /məræ l I ti/ (moralities )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Morality is the belief that some behaviour is right and acceptable and that other behaviour is wrong. □ …standards of morality and justice in society.
2 N‑COUNT A morality is a system of principles and values concerning people's behaviour, which is generally accepted by a society or by a particular group of people. □ …a morality that is sexist.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The morality of something is how right or acceptable it is. □ [+ of ] …the arguments about the morality of blood sports.
mor|al|ize /mɒ rəla I z, [AM ] mɔː r-/ (moralizes , moralizing , moralized ) in BRIT, also use moralise VERB If you say that someone is moralizing , you are critical of them for telling people what they think is right or wrong, especially when they have not been asked their opinion. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] As a dramatist I hate to moralize. ● mor|al|iz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ We have tried to avoid any moralising.
mo r|al ma|jo r|ity N‑SING ; N‑PROPER If there is a large group in society that holds strong, conservative opinions on matters of morality and religion, you can refer to these people as the moral majority . In the United States, there is an organized group called the Moral Majority . □ …unless the writers begin to write decent comedy and stop pandering to the moral majority.
mo|rass /məræ s/ (morasses ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe an unpleasant or confused situation as a morass , you mean that it seems impossible to escape from or resolve, because it has become so serious or so complicated. □ [+ of ] I tried to drag myself out of the morass of despair. □ …the economic morass.
mora|to|rium /mɒ rətɔː riəm, [AM ] mɔː r-/ (moratoriums or moratoria ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A moratorium on a particular activity or process is the stopping of it for a fixed period of time, usually as a result of an official agreement. □ [+ on ] …a moratorium on talking to the press until the dispute is settled.
mor|bid /mɔː r b I d/ ADJ If you describe a person or their interest in something as morbid , you mean that they are very interested in unpleasant things, especially death, and you think this is strange. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Some people have a morbid fascination with crime. ● mor|bid|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ There's something morbidly fascinating about the thought.
mor|dant /mɔː r d ə nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Mordant humour is very critical and often mocks someone or something. [FORMAL ] □ A wicked, mordant sense of humour has come to the fore in Blur's world.
more ◆◆◆ /mɔː r / More is often considered to be the comparative form of much and many . 1 DET You use more to indicate that there is a greater amount of something than before or than average, or than something else. You can use 'a little', 'a lot', 'a bit', 'far', and 'much' in front of more . □ More and more people are surviving heart attacks. □ He spent more time perfecting his dance moves instead of gym work. □ …teaching more children foreign languages other than English. ● PRON More is also a pronoun. □ As the level of work increased from light to heavy, workers ate more. □ He had four hundred dollars in his pocket. Billy had more. ● QUANT More is also a quantifier. □ [+ of ] Employees may have to take on more of their own medical costs.
2 PHRASE You use more than before a number or amount to say that the actual number or amount is even greater. □ The Afghan authorities say the airport had been closed for more than a year. □ …classy leather and silk jackets at more than £250.