ethic

noun

eth·​ic ˈe-thik 

1

a

: a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values

the present-day materialistic ethic

an old-fashioned work ethic

—often used in plural but singular or plural in construction

an elaborate ethics

Christian ethics

b

ethics ˈe-thiks  plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group

professional ethics

c

: a consciousness of moral importance

forge a conservation ethic

d

: a guiding philosophy

2

ethics plural : a set of moral issues or aspects (such as rightness)

debated the ethics of human cloning

3

ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation

Did you know?

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

Synonyms

• ethos
• morality
• morals
• norms
• principles
• standards

Examples of ethic in a Sentence

Ethics is his chosen field of study.

Recent Examples on the Web

Conservation must be guided by ethics, sustainability and harm reduction. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2025

The ethics office can issue recommendations but has no authority to enforce financial divestment or prosecute conflicts involving a sitting president. —Mackenzie Sigalos,ari Levy, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025

To see the world in this way means discounting the ideas that ostensibly govern our society—ethics, beliefs, norms—and instead processing life as a struggle for dominance. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025

Leaders who thrive don’t cut corners or compromise ethics for short-term wins. —Roberta Matuson, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ethik, from Middle French ethique, from Latin ethice, from Greek ēthikē, from ēthikos

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing ethic

• Protestant ethic
• work ethic