Morality vs. Ethics — What's the Difference?

Morality (from Latin: moralitas, lit. 'manner, character, proper behavior') is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion or culture, or it can derive from a standard that a person believes should be universal.

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value; these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology.Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime.

The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct

Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity

A system or collection of ideas of right and wrong conduct

The branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles

Virtuous conduct

A set of principles of right conduct.

A rule or lesson in moral conduct

A theory or a system of moral values

(uncountable) Recognition of the distinction between good and evil or between right and wrong; respect for and obedience to the rules of right conduct; the mental disposition or characteristic of behaving in a manner intended to produce morally good results.

Ethics (used with a sing. verb) The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy.

(countable) A set of social rules, customs, traditions, beliefs, or practices which specify proper, acceptable forms of conduct.

Ethics (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession

(countable) A set of personal guiding principles for conduct or a general notion of how to behave, whether respectable or not.

(philosophy) The study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct.

A lesson or pronouncement which contains advice about proper behavior.

Morality.

(countable) A morality play.

The standards that govern the conduct of a person, especially a member of a profession.

Moral philosophy, the branch of philosophy which studies the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

The science of human duty; the body of rules of duty drawn from this science; a particular system of principles and rules concerting duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; as, political or social ethics; medical ethics.

A particular theory concerning the grounds and nature of rightness, wrongness, good, and evil.

Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong

The relation of conformity or nonconformity to the moral standard or rule; quality of an intention, a character, an action, a principle, or a sentiment, when tried by the standard of right.

The philosophical study of moral values and rules

The quality of an action which renders it good; the conformity of an act to the accepted standard of right.

The doctrines or rules of moral duties, or the duties of men in their social character; ethics.

The practice of the moral duties; rectitude of life; conformity to the standard of right; virtue; as, we often admire the politeness of men whose morality we question.

A kind of allegorical play, so termed because it consisted of discourses in praise of morality between actors representing such characters as Charity, Faith, Death, Vice, etc. Such plays were occasionally exhibited as late as the reign of Henry VIII.

Intent; meaning; moral.

Concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct

Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong