moral code

[ mawr-uhl kohd, mor- ]

noun

1. a set of rules or principles of ethical conduct for a person or a group of people:

   The moral code and religious law of Islam deals with broad topics, such as crime and politics, but also with personal matters, like diet and prayer.

   She refused to take the job, saying that it was incompatible with her personal moral code.

Word History and Origins

Origin of moral code¹

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

Her moral code can no longer stand.

From Los Angeles Times

While he renounced his father's acts of violence across the globe, he has also been accused by some of being an apologist for Osama's actions, referring to him as a "kind" man who had followed a strict religious and moral code.

From BBC

The Antigua and Barbuda Evangelical Alliance has condemned what it calls a “deliberate erosion of our moral code… under the cloak of advancing human rights”.

From BBC

But the bill's author, Republican state lawmaker Dodie Horton, has spoken of the importance of returning a "moral code" to classrooms.

From BBC

“It doesn’t preach a certain religion, but it definitely shows what a moral code we all should live by is.”

From New York Times