Word
mores
US/ˈmɔˌɹeɪz/
UK/mˈɔːz/
Definition
n. the customs and beliefs that a society considers to be right and proper. These are the rules that help people know how to behave in their community.
n. the prevailing moral standards and social customs of a particular group or society. Often used in the plural to refer to the collective set of norms that govern public behavior.
Examples
“The new law changed the social mores of the city.”
“While the legal system changed, the traditional mores of the village remained largely unchanged for decades.”
“Sociologists often study how shifting mores regarding digital privacy influence the way younger generations interact with social media platforms compared to their predecessors.”
Examples
simple
“The new law changed the social mores of the city.”
contextual
“While the legal system changed, the traditional mores of the village remained largely unchanged for decades.”
complex
“Sociologists often study how shifting mores regarding digital privacy influence the way younger generations interact with social media platforms compared to their predecessors.”
Real-World Examples
“By it he meant a place where two Protestant groups, the Baptists and the Methodists, dominated not just religious life , but also the mores of the whole society.” Etymology
From Latin mōrēs (“ways, character, morals”), the plural of mōs. Doublet of moeurs.
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/mores