Definition of ETHICS

Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?

Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.

Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:

It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.

He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014

While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:

Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.

Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990

In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:

Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016

The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016

Examples of ethic in a Sentence

Ethics is his chosen field of study.

Recent Examples on the Web

As trade schools’ bottom-line ethic is being applauded, many four-year institutions are, perhaps not coincidentally, struggling with an economic and identity crisis. — Chuck Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The State of American Trade Schools," 13 Mar. 2019 However, there is concern that this ethic might get lost if hip-hop architecture is appropriated. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "Can hip-hop make architecture more equitable?," 8 Oct. 2018 The issue of conflicts of interest has become more pressing in recent years as drug prices soar and health care companies reach out to the academic and policy community for advice — often with generous payments attached, ethics experts say. — Sarah Jane Tribble, Washington Post, "Top Policy Expert’s Ties To Giant Drugmaker Often Go Unstated," 29 June 2018 The filings show how the couple are collecting immense sums from other enterprises while serving in the White House, an extraordinary income flow that ethics experts have warned could create potential conflicts of interests. — chicagotribune.com, "Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump made at least $82 million in outside income last year while serving in the White House, filings show," 12 June 2018 The filings show how the couple are collecting immense sums from other enterprises while serving in the White House, an extraordinary income flow that ethics experts have warned could create potential conflicts of interests. — Anchorage Daily News, "Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump made at least $82 million in outside income last year while serving in the White House," 12 June 2018 The filings show how the couple are collecting immense sums from other enterprises while serving in the White House, an extraordinary income flow that ethics experts have warned could create potential conflicts of interests. — Anu Narayanswamy, latimes.com, "Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump made at least $82 million in outside income last year while serving in the White House, filings show," 12 June 2018 The filings show how the couple are collecting immense sums from other enterprises while serving in the White House, an extraordinary income flow that ethics experts have warned could create potential conflicts of interests. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner made $82M in outside income in 2017, filing shows," 11 June 2018 Her personal work for Pruitt raised red flags among ethics experts. — Aaron Kessler And Gregory Wallace, CNN, "Documents show Scott Pruitt a frequent diner at White House mess hall," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ethic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.