morální

Morální is an adjective used in Czech and Slovak to mean "moral" or "ethical," relating to morals, moral norms, or principles. It is employed to describe actions, motives, or judgments as conforming to accepted standards of right and wrong, or to label concepts such as moral reasoning or moral norms. In everyday language it often appears in phrases like morální principy (moral principles) or morální dilema (moral dilemma). The corresponding noun morálnost denotes the concept of morality, while morálný/morálna/morálne are used in Slovak to form gendered variants.

Etymology traces morální to Latin moralis, meaning "pertaining to manners or customs," itself from mos, moris "custom." The term entered Czech and Slovak via Latin and early European linguistic contact and has cognates in many Romance and Germanic languages (for example English moral, French morale). In Czech and Slovak, morální exists alongside etický, a term often preferred in academic or technical contexts to denote ethics or ethical theory.

Usage and nuance: Morální generally conveys alignment with normative ethical standards, but its evaluative force depends on context and cultural norms. In philosophy, it appears in discussions of moral theories, moral evaluation, and ethical justification (morální teorie, morální dilema). In everyday speech, it can carry a value judgment about rightness or propriety. The term is common in media, politics, and education, where discussions of character, responsibility, and social norms frequently invoke morální judgments.

See also: morality, ethics, moral philosophy.