moralism
noun
mor·al·ism
| \ ˈmȯr-ə-ˌli-zəm
, ˈmär-\
, ˈmär-\
Definition of moralism
1a
: the habit or practice of moralizing
b
: a conventional moral attitude or saying
2
: an often exaggerated emphasis on morality (as in politics)
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Synonyms for moralism
Synonyms
nice-nellyism, prudery, prudishness, puritanism
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Examples of moralism in a Sentence
the moralism that the candidate displays on the campaign trail is in stark contrast to his rumored sexual indiscretions off the stump
Recent Examples on the Web
By Jane Mayer At the National Conservatism Conference, there was an open embrace of Trump’s immigration rhetoric and policies, and signals that the old conservative consensus—markets and moralism—has been broken. — Natan Last, The New Yorker, "The Weekday Crossword: Monday, July 22, 2019," 22 July 2019 But though this kind of moralism can be a good way of connecting with voters and even an effective tool for social change, actual legislation still needs to invoke general principles. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The controversy over Bernie Sanders’s low-paid field staffers, explained," 20 July 2019 Yet many of us cannot help but acknowledge that our country is becoming less morally estimable, as human freedom is increasingly understood as limitless relativism and accompanied by totalitarian moralism on much of the left. — Daniel J. Mahoney, National Review, "Democracy’s Moral Foundations: Recovering Our ‘Constitution in Full’," 20 June 2019 Roosevelt’s personal life and political views were both driven by a kind of righteous Protestant moralism that’s entirely alien to Trump. — Vox Staff, Vox, "The most thought-provoking books the Vox staff read in 2018," 21 Dec. 2018 The pastoral moralism that he was often accused of peddling was actually a clever sleight of hand. — Tyler Malone, latimes.com, "The road taken by Robert Frost through New England," 29 June 2018 When motivating moralism is paired with a pragmatic understanding of the way a system works, there’s the potential for truly positive change. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Farming A Warming Planet: An Interview Nathanael Johnson," 31 May 2018 Rogers’s apparent lack of embarrassment and shame about feelings was part of what separated Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood from the frenzied, skin-deep moralism of most children’s programming at the time. — Heather Havrilesky, The Cut, "Why Did We Ever Leave Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood?," 31 May 2018 For the readers of the future, the books will always be there like sticks of dynamite, ready to blow up complacency and moralism. — Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, "Remembering Philip Roth, a Giant of American Literature," 23 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'moralism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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