moralist

noun

mor·​al·​ist ˈmȯr-ə-list How to pronounce moralist (audio)
ˈmär-
Synonyms of moralistnext
1
: one who leads a moral life
2
: a philosopher or writer concerned with moral principles and problems
3
: one concerned with regulating the morals of others

Synonyms of moralist

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Examples of moralist in a Sentence

a smattering of moralists around the country tried to get the songs banned from the radio
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Christian moralists thundered against the sinful pleasures of watching naked female flesh at the Spectacles. — Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 Carney is a moralist, a filmmaker of fidelity—and of renunciation, depicting the romantic near-misses and what-ifs that his characters leave behind. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 Twenty years ago, moralists tried to strong arm a Texas private school into removing Annie Proulx’s sensitive story Brokeback Mountain from its curriculum. — Spin Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026 Of course, if no viable alternative to Trump’s deportations policy existed, the political reality would be different, and the moralists would have a better argument. — Andrew Day, Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moralist

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of moralist was circa 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Moralist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moralist. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

moralist

noun
mor·​al·​ist ˈmȯr-ə-ləst How to pronounce moralist (audio)
ˈmär-
1
: a person who leads a moral life
2
: a person who teaches, studies, or points out morals
3
: a person who is concerned with regulating the morals of others

More from Merriam-Webster on moralist

Nglish: Translation of moralist for Spanish Speakers

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