morally

The word “morally” means in terms of right and wrong conduct. In plain terms, from an ethical point of view, or (less commonly) "as good as" / "practically.".

“Morally” is pronounced MO-ruh-lee (/ˈmɔɹəli/ in IPA).

Here is “morally” used in a sentence: “He felt morally obligated to report the crime.”

The opposite of “morally” — its antonyms — is immorally.

“Morally” is an adverb.

“Morally” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Morally” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in terms of right and wrong conduct.

Morally refers to whether an action is right or wrong according to personal or societal standards of conduct, while legally refers to whether an action complies with the law. Something can be legal but still considered morally wrong, or illegal yet seen as morally justified, since the two systems of judgment do not always align.

Calling something "morally bankrupt" means it completely lacks any sense of right and wrong conduct, as if all moral principles have been exhausted. The phrase is typically used to criticize an action, policy, or person as having no ethical foundation left.

Morally can mean "for all practical purposes" rather than referring to ethics, as in "morally certain," which describes a conclusion that is virtually certain even without absolute proof. This older, less common sense treats morally as a synonym for practically or virtually.

Morally and ethically are close synonyms, but morally often relates to personal conscience and cultural norms of right and wrong, while ethically more often refers to formal codes of conduct within a profession or system. In everyday usage, the two words are frequently interchangeable.