ethical

adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
variants or less commonly ethic
1
: of or relating to ethics
ethical theories
2
: involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval
ethical judgments
3
: conforming to accepted standards of conduct
ethical behavior
4
of a drug : restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription
ethicality noun
ethically adverb
ethicalness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for ethical

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good.

moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Examples of ethical in a Sentence

Some doctors feel that this procedure is not medically ethical. the ethical behavior expected of every member of the police force
Recent Examples on the Web Scientific studies are often criticized by the plastic industry as not being specific or as able to show only an association, not cause and effect, due to ethical concerns about experimenting on humans. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s chief ethical and humane use officer, and Builder. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Wagner is used to abiding strict ethical guidelines while covering professional cycling; the petrochemical company funding the junket sent her first class to Austin. Longreads, 8 Mar. 2024 Still, fans of Michael Haneke's social thrillers — and those with a morbid curiosity about ethical blights like the Stanford prison experiment — will likely delight in the discomfort. Allaire Nuss, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Stone, who also executive-produces, is Bella Baxter, the subject of a strange, questionably ethical reanimation experiment at the hands of Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and his besotted assistant, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef). Rachel Handler, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2024 Calling out ethical malignancies is necessary to protect and promote a just society. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The court may need to look to cases involving ethical dilemmas, governance issues, and mission drift to find a broader context from which to interpret the implications of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI. Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 On a special episode of The Excerpt podcast: The ethical and legal issues of IVF, or in vitro fertilization, are complicated. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English etik, from Latin ethicus, from Greek ēthikos, from ēthos character — more at sib

First Known Use

circa 1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethical was circa 1573

Dictionary Entries Near ethical

Cite this Entry

“Ethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethical. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ethical

adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
1
: of or relating to ethics
2
a
: following accepted rules of conduct
b
: following professional standards of conduct
3
: sold only on a doctor's prescription
ethical drugs
ethically adverb

Medical Definition

ethical

1 of 2 adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
variants also ethic
1
: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
2
of a drug : restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription
ethically adverb

ethical

2 of 2 noun
: an ethical drug

Legal Definition

ethical

adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
1
: of or relating to ethics
2
: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
ethically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ethical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!