moral decay
Society's ethical collapse
Moral decay describes a perceived decline in ethical standards, values, or behavior within a society or group over time.
The phrase carries a judgmental tone, typically used by those who believe traditional virtues are eroding: Critics blamed moral decay for rising crime rates.
What constitutes moral decay depends heavily on the speaker's values—one person's moral decay is another's social progress.
The term appears frequently in religious, political, and cultural commentary, often invoking nostalgia for an idealized past.
- rotOrganic breakdown process
- decadenceMoral decline through excess
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- greedExcessive desire for wealth
- selling outAbandoning principles for gain
hypocrisy · hedonism · vice · turpitude · bribery · dishonesty · sin · depravity · exploitation · betrayal · wickedness · oppression · cynicism · slippery slope · immorality · nihilism · perversion · fraud
- old-fashioned complaintskids these days, back in my day, no respect, work ethic, bad manners
- story themeshero, love, villain, quest, journey
- character arcscharacter arc, arc, redemption arc, hero's journey, fall from grace
- literary themesheroism, hero's journey, ennui, social realism, morals
- moral decaydegeneration, degradation, depravity, fall from grace, backsliding
- moral statesmorality, immorality, virtue, vice, righteousness
moral decaymoral progress
Advancement in collective virtue
spiritual renewal · moral awakening · character building · moral education
moral decayvirtue
Moral goodness or merit
integrity · moral rectitude · moral integrity · righteousness · moral excellence
moral decaymoral order
Principles governing right conduct
civic virtue · social cohesion · rule of law · social harmony