adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ɪˈmɒɹəl/
General-American:/ɪˈmɔɹəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɒɹəl
CMU ARPABET:IH2 M AO1 R AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Breaching principles of natural law, rectitude, or justice, and so inconsistent with the demands of virtue, purity, or "good morals"; not right, not moral. (Compare unethical, illegal.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: moral, pure, righteous
2
adjective
Meaning 2
deliberately violating accepted principles of right and wrong
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: moral
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
not adhering to ethical or moral principles
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
base and unpatriotic motives
a base, degrading way of life
cheating is dishonorable
they considered colonialism immoral
unethical practices in handling public funds
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: base
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin im- English im- Proto-Indo-European *meh1-der. Proto-Italic *mōs Latin mōs Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin mōrālis Old French moralbor. Middle English moral English moral English immoral From im- + moral.
Across languages
Translations
58 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
անբարոյական
(anbaroyakan)
— not moral
Azerbaijani:
əxlaqsız
— not moral
Belarusian:
амара́льны
(amarálʹny)
— not moral
Bulgarian:
неморален
(nemoralen)
— not moral
Catalan:
immoral
— not moral
Chinese Mandarin:
不道德
(bùdàodé)
— not moral
Corsican:
immurale
— not moral
Corsican:
immurali
— not moral
Corsican:
immorale
— not moral
Czech:
nemorální
— not moral
Finnish:
moraaliton
— not moral
Finnish:
siveetön
— not moral
French:
immoral
— not moral
Galician:
inmoral
— not moral
German:
unmoralisch
— not moral
German:
sittenwidrig
— not moral
German:
verwerflich
— not moral
Greek:
ανήθικος
(aníthikos)
— not moral
Hindi:
अनैतिक
(anaitik)
— not moral
Hindi:
व्यभिचारी
(vyabhicārī)
— not moral
Hungarian:
erkölcstelen
— not moral
Indonesian:
asusila
— not moral
Indonesian:
nirakhlak
— not moral
Indonesian:
tak berakhlak
— not moral
Indonesian:
tak bermoral
— not moral
Irish:
mímhorálta
— not moral
Italian:
immorale
— not moral
Italian:
scorretto
— not moral
Japanese:
不道徳な
(fudōtoku na)
— not moral
Korean:
부도덕(不道德)하다
(budodeokhada)
— not moral
Korean:
비도덕적
(bidodeokjeok)
— not moral
Latin:
improbus
— not moral
Macedonian:
немо́рален
(nemóralen)
— not moral
Malayalam:
അധാർമിക
(adhāṟmika)
— not moral
Māori:
karihika
— not moral
Māori:
makihuhunu
— not moral
Meru:
mwiiya
— not moral
Khiamniungan Naga:
yânglàikēi
— not moral
Norwegian Bokmål:
umoralsk
— not moral
Norwegian Nynorsk:
umoralsk
— not moral
Norwegian Nynorsk:
usedug
— not moral
Norwegian Nynorsk:
usedeleg
— not moral
Piedmontese:
imoral
— not moral
Plautdietsch:
onmoralisch
— not moral
Polish:
niemoralny
— not moral
Portuguese:
imoral
— not moral
Romanian:
imoral
— not moral
Russian:
амора́льный
(amorálʹnyj)
— not moral
Russian:
безнра́вственный
(beznrávstvennyj)
— not moral