moral

modif.

1. Good or right in conduct or character

   ethical, principled, virtuous, righteous, good, right, upright, honorable, trustworthy, conscientious, scrupulous, respectable, proper, truthful, decent, just, honest, right-minded, high-minded, saintly, pure, exemplary, laudable, worthy, correct, praiseworthy, showing integrity, incorruptible, noble, upstanding, seemly, aboveboard, dutiful, godly; see also noble 1, 2, reliable 1, righteous 1, upright 2.

   Antonyms immoral, unscrupulous, dishonest*.

2. Conforming to approved standards of sexual conduct

   virtuous, chaste, pure, decent; see chaste 2, innocent 4.

3. Moralizing

   didactic, moralizing, moralistic, preachy, sermonizing, monitory, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou.

moral implies conformity with generally accepted standards of goodness or rightness in conduct or character, sometimes, specif., in sexual conduct a moral person; ethical implies conformity with an elaborated, ideal code of moral principles, sometimes, specif., with the code of a particular profession an ethical lawyer; virtuous implies a morally excellent character, connoting integrity, self-discipline, or often, specif., chastity; righteous implies being morally blameless or justifiable righteous anger