Immoral means knowingly doing something wrong or harmful, especially when it violates basic principles of right and wrong that most people share. When someone acts immorally, they choose to do something they know causes harm or treats others unfairly, even though they understand it's wrong.

Stealing someone's lunch money is immoral because it takes something that belongs to someone else and might leave them hungry. Lying to get a classmate in trouble is immoral because it deliberately harms an innocent person. Cheating an elderly neighbor out of money is deeply immoral because it exploits someone's trust and vulnerability.

Immoral acts are different from simply illegal acts. Something can be against the law but not necessarily immoral (like jaywalking on an empty street), while some immoral behaviors might not be crimes (like spreading cruel gossip about a friend). The word points to a deeper sense of right and wrong that goes beyond just following rules.

When people describe something as immoral, they're making a serious judgment. They're saying the action violates fundamental ideas about how people should treat each other: with honesty, fairness, and respect. An immoral person is someone who repeatedly makes choices that harm others and doesn't care about the consequences or the pain they cause.