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Of or pertaining to the Antinomians; opposed to the doctrine that the moral law is obligatory.

A story or relation of fictitious events, intended to convey some moral truth; a moral fable.

Pertaining to, or characterized by, apostasy; faithless to moral allegiance; renegade. So spake the apostate angel. Milton. A wretched and apostate state. Steele.

st plants the Christian faith in any part of the world; also, one who initiates any great moral reform, or first advocates any important belief; one who has extraordinary success as a missionary or reformer; as, Dionysius of Corinth is called the apostle of France, John Eliot the apostle to the Indians, Theobald Mathew…

which the principles before laid down and illustrated are applied to practical uses; the "moral" of a fable. (b) The use of the principles of one science for the purpose of enlarging or perfecting another; as, the application of algebra to geometry.

That part of moral philosophy which treats of virtue, its nature, and the means of attaining to it.

Thoughts and expressions . . . which can be truly argued of obscenity, profaneness, or immorality. Dryden.

Fig.: To furnish with means of defense; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense. Arm yourselves . . . with the same mind. 1 Pet. iv. 1. To arm a magnet, to fit it with an armature.

Any seizure by power, physical or moral. The sad stories of fire from heaven, the burning of his sheep, etc., . . . were sad arrests to his troubled spirit. Jer. Taylor.

Norris. Ascetic theology, the science which treats of the practice of the theological and moral virtues, and the counsels of perfection. Am. Cyc.

Moral roughness; roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; -- opposed to mildness. "Asperity of character." Landor. It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson.

-- followed by to or after, and rarely by at; as, to aspire to a crown; to aspire after immorality. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell; Aspiring to be angels, men rebel. Pope.

To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like. The papal authority . . . assailed. Hallam. They assailed him with keen invectiv…

A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government. Clarendon.

To bind by moral or legal obligation. Wolsey.

ny are formed on verbs ending in the Greek formative -ize (Fr. -ise); as, civilization, demoralization.

e heart of; to connect by ties of love or self-interest; to attract; to fasten or bind by moral influence; -- with to; as, attached to a friend; attaching others to us by wealth or flattery. Incapable of attaching a sensible man. Miss Austen. God . . . by various ties attaches man to man. Cowper.

To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt. My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love. Shak.

To draw by influence of a moral or emotional kind; to engage or fix, as the mind, attention, etc.; to invite or allure; as, to attract admirers. Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. Milton.

Attracting or drawing by moral influence or pleasurable emotion; alluring; inviting; pleasing. "Attractive graces." Milton. "Attractive eyes." Thackeray. Flowers of a livid yellow, or fleshy color, are most attractive to flies. Lubbock. -- At*tract"ive*ly, adv. -- At*tract"ive*ness, n.