moral compass

noun

plural moral compasses

: a set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions, judgments, and behavior : an internal sense of right and wrong

Mr. Mandela was unique. How often in a generation does a giant walk among us, with brilliance and courage, guided by an immaculate moral compass?

—Tayari Jones

There are common causes for lapses in ethical judgment that can include ego, power, greed, fear, compulsion, embarrassment, rationalization, or basic lack of a moral compass.

—Kevin Woodhouse

Women who work hard to make businesses and communities better and help set our moral compasses with their actions are my heroes.

—Edie Boan

also : someone or something that serves as a standard for guiding moral choices, judgments, or behavior

Here was the lead character, the show's moral compass, played by its best-known actor—and this is what happens to him?

—Kristi Turnquist

In his role as manager of Changes Group Home in New London, Henderson serves as a moral compass for young men who need direction.

—Tim Frogerg

Examples of moral compass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not necessarily religious, but people who believe in boundaries and want to do good in the world, that have a moral compass. —Rachel Wilkerson Miller, SELF, 4 Dec. 2024

Most of them have at least one foot solidly planted on the side of good; even his Macbeth starts out as a loyal subject of the realm before his moral compass cracks in two. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024

For individuals who feel deeply connected to their values and moral compass, political discussions can provide a meaningful opportunity to express authenticity and engage in purposeful dialogue. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

While Lafayette’s tour did not immediately shift American society, his views became a moral compass that drove progress across generations. —Elizabeth M. Reese / Made By History, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

moral compass

noun

: a set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions, judgments, and behavior : an internal sense of right and wrong