Immoral

/ɪˈmɒrəl/

adjectivemediumCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Not adhering to moral principles; wrong according to the standards of right and wrong.

/ɪˈmɒrəl/

adjectivenegativemedium
General

Not conforming to accepted standards of morality.

Stealing is considered an immoral act.

💡 Simply: Imagine your friend cheats on a test. That's immoral because it's not fair and breaks the rules. Immoral actions make you feel bad and break the rules.

👶 For kids: When you do something that's not good or right, it's immoral. Like, if you take someone else's toy without asking, that's not a nice, or immoral.

More Examples

2

His immoral behavior led to his downfall.

3

The novel explores the consequences of immoral choices.

4

Many people view lying as immoral, regardless of the situation.

How It's Used

Ethics

"The company's actions were considered immoral by many stakeholders."

Law

"The judge deemed his behavior immoral and sentenced him accordingly."

Idioms & expressions

Immoral conduct

Behavior that is considered wrong or unethical.

"The investigation revealed instances of immoral conduct within the organization."

From Latin *immoralis*, from *in-* (not) + *moralis* (moral). The word's usage evolved with the development of moral philosophy and societal norms.

The word 'immoral' has been used since the 16th century to describe actions that are considered contrary to moral principles. It was frequently seen in philosophical and religious texts discussing ethics.

Memory tip

Imagine a mirror reflecting *in* the wrong, immoral actions. *Im-* means not. Not moral = immoral

imoralimorralimmorel

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written