English Meaning & Definitions
An action or course of action demanded by one's conscience, ethics, or societal values, rather than by formal legal obligation.
- “He felt it was his moral duty to report the company's unethical practices to the authorities.”
- “Helping those in acute distress is considered by many to be a fundamental moral duty.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “moral duty”.
The term combines 'moral' (from Latin 'moralis', pertaining to character or proper behavior, derived from 'mos', meaning custom or habit) and 'duty' (from Old French 'dute', from Vulgar Latin 'debitum', meaning that which is owed). Together, it reflects the philosophical evolution of obligations dictated by conscience and ethical frameworks rather than strictly by law.
Think of 'moral' as your internal compass and 'duty' as a debt you owe to society; your moral duty is the debt of kindness and fairness you must always pay.
Frequently Asked Questions About “moral duty”
1. What is the meaning of “moral duty” in English?
In English, moral duty (noun) is defined as: “An action or course of action demanded by one's conscience, ethics, or societal values, rather than by formal legal obligation.”.
2. How do you use “moral duty” in a sentence?
“He felt it was his moral duty to report the company's unethical practices to the authorities.”
3. What are English synonyms of “moral duty”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “moral duty”?
The term combines 'moral' (from Latin 'moralis', pertaining to character or proper behavior, derived from 'mos', meaning custom or habit) and 'duty' (from Old French 'dute', from Vulgar Latin 'debitum', meaning that which is owed). Together, it reflects the philosophical evolution of obligations dictated by conscience and ethical frameworks rather than strictly by law.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.