What's the Difference Between 'Amoral' and 'Immoral'?

In this blog post we look at when to use amoral and when to use immoral.

'Amoral' or 'Immoral'?

"Amoral" and "immoral" are two words that are often used to describe behavior or actions that are considered to be wrong or inappropriate. However, there is a difference between the two terms.

"Amoral" refers to a lack of moral principles or values. It suggests that a person or thing is not capable of understanding or recognizing right or wrong.

For example:

  • The robot was programmed to be amoral, so it didn't understand the concept of right and wrong.

  • Some people argue that animals are amoral because they don't have the capacity to understand moral principles.

"Immoral" refers to behavior or actions that are considered to be wrong or contrary to accepted standards of behavior. It suggests that a person or thing is capable of understanding moral principles, but is choosing to act in a way that goes against them.

For example:

  • Stealing is considered to be an immoral act because it goes against the principle of not taking what belongs to others.

  • Cheating on a partner is often considered to be an immoral act because it goes against the principle of being faithful and honest in a relationship.

In summary, "amoral" refers to a lack of moral principles or values, while "immoral" refers to behavior or actions that are considered to be wrong or contrary to accepted standards of behavior.

Here are some examples of the difference between "amoral" and "immoral":

  1. An amoral person might not understand why it is wrong to steal, while an immoral person knows that stealing is wrong but does it anyway.

  2. An amoral action might be something that is done without understanding that it is wrong, while an immoral action is something that is done intentionally, knowing that it is wrong.

  3. An amoral animal might not understand the concept of right and wrong, while an immoral human being knows what is right and wrong but chooses to act in an unethical way.

  4. An amoral society might not have a clear set of moral principles, while an immoral society might have a set of moral principles but allows unethical behavior to go unpunished.

  5. An amoral person might not be able to distinguish between right and wrong, while an immoral person knows the difference but doesn't care.

Examples of Amoral in a Sentence

  1. The AI was programmed to be amoral, so it didn't understand why it was wrong to harm humans.

  2. Some people argue that babies are amoral because they don't yet understand the concept of right and wrong.

  3. The amoral behavior of the company caused a lot of damage to the environment.

  4. He was accused of being amoral because he didn't seem to care about the consequences of his actions.

  5. The amoral attitude of the government towards corruption led to widespread abuse of power.

  6. The amoral nature of the virus made it difficult to contain.

  7. The amoral decision of the CEO caused the company to lose the trust of its customers.

  8. The amoral actions of the group caused a lot of harm to the community.

  9. The amoral behavior of the school administration resulted in a lack of trust among parents and students.

  10. The amoral attitude of the politician towards the welfare of the people led to widespread disillusionment.

Examples of Immoral in a Sentence

    1. The immoral actions of the company caused a lot of harm to the environment.

    2. He was accused of being immoral because he seemed to enjoy causing pain to others.

    3. The immoral behavior of the government towards corruption led to widespread abuse of power.

    4. The immoral decision of the CEO caused the company to lose the trust of its customers.

    5. The immoral actions of the group caused a lot of harm to the community.

    6. The immoral behavior of the school administration resulted in a lack of trust among parents and students.

    7. The immoral attitude of the politician towards the welfare of the people led to widespread disillusionment.

    8. It is immoral to lie to someone in order to gain an advantage.

    9. Cheating on a partner is often considered to be an immoral act because it goes against the principle of being faithful and honest in a relationship.

    10. Stealing is considered to be an immoral act because it goes against the principle of not taking what belongs to others.


Amoral or Immoral
Amoral or Immoral