Mores

Mores (generally pronounced /ˈmɔreɪz/, and often /ˈmɔriːz/. From Latin mōrēs, grammatically plural: "behavior"). William Graham Sumner, an early U.S. sociologist, recognized that some norms are more important to our lives than others. Sumner coined the term mores to refer to norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. Mores include an aversion for societal taboos, such as incest or pederasty. Consequently, the values and mores of a society predicates legislation prohibiting their taboos.