moral.html - noun
(Politics) In the US, a right-wing political movement emphasizing traditional moral standards in society and drawing support mainly from fundamentalist Christian groups. Hence more generally (as moral majority), upholders of traditional right-wing social values. Etymology: So named because it claims to represent a majority of the American people favouring the re-establishment of moral standards. History and Usage: The Moral Majority movement was founded by Revd Jerry Falwell in Washington DC at the end of the seventies, originally as a 'legislative research foundation' to promote conservative Christian viewpoints. During the eighties it attracted considerable support and was able to put its message across through commercial religious broadcasting (the 'electric church'), even putting one of the televangelists up as a possible presidential candidate in the middle of the decade. In 1986 it was renamed the Liberty Federation but by this time the phrase moral majority had acquired the more general meaning of the conservative or traditionalist component of society. As well as the relentlessly Ann Summers view of sex, metal's other great shock tactic is horror and devil worship imagery. Accusations of satanism have stirred up America's moral majority to call for outright bans, a guarantee for enhanced teen appeal. Guardian 11 Aug. 1989, p. 24

moral.html - adj. & n.
--adj.

1 a concerned with goodness or badness of human character or behaviour, or with the distinction between right and wrong. b concerned with accepted rules and standards of human behaviour.
2 a conforming to accepted standards of general conduct. b capable of moral action (man is a moral agent).
3 (of rights or duties etc.) founded on moral law.
4 a concerned with morals or ethics (moral philosophy). b (of a literary work etc.) dealing with moral conduct.
5 concerned with or leading to a psychological effect associated with confidence in a right action (moral courage; moral support; moral victory).

--n.

1 a a moral lesson (esp. at the end) of a fable, story, event, etc. b a moral maxim or principle.
2 (in pl.) moral behaviour, e.g. in sexual conduct.

moral certainty probability so great as to allow no reasonable doubt. moral law the conditions to be satisfied by any right course of action. moral majority the majority of people, regarded as favouring firm moral standards (orig. Moral Majority, name of a right-wing US movement). moral philosophy the branch of philosophy concerned with ethics. moral pressure persuasion by appealing to a person's moral sense. Moral Re-Armament 1 = OXFORD GROUP.
2 the beliefs of this organization, esp. as applied to international relations. moral science systematic knowledge as applied to morals. moral sense the ability to distinguish right and wrong.

morally adv. [ME f. L moralis f. mos moris custom, pl. mores morals]

moral.html - n.
the mental attitude or bearing of a person or group, esp. as regards confidence, discipline, etc. [F moral respelt to preserve the pronunciation]

moral.html - n.
1 a natural system of morality.
2 religion regarded as moral practice.

moral.html - n.
1 a person who practises or teaches morality.
2 a person who follows a natural system of ethics.

moralistic adj. moralistically adv.

moral.html - n.
(pl. -ies)
1 the degree of conformity of an idea, practice, etc., to moral principles.
2 right moral conduct.
3 a lesson in morals.
4 the science of morals.
5 a particular system of morals (commercial morality).
6 (in pl.) moral principles; points of ethics.
7 (in full morality play) hist. a kind of drama with personified abstract qualities as the main characters and inculcating a moral lesson, popular in the 16th c. [ME f. OF moralit

or LL moralitas f. L (as MORAL)]