moral science

noun

The systematic, scientific study of human nature and relationships.

“Adam Smith conceived of economics as a moral science in the Humean sense.”

Meanings

nounmoral science (countable and uncountable, plural moral sciences)

plural moral sciences

  1. countableuncountableThe systematic, scientific study of human nature and relationships.

    Adam Smith conceived of economics as a moral science in the Humean sense.

Origin

The term was used by David Hume (1711–1776) in his Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, and subsequently adopted by some other scholars.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

moral science. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science

MLA

“moral science.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “moral science,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/moral%20science.

Source: moral science on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.