ethic

noun

eth·ic | \ ˈe-thik

Definition of ethic

1 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

2a : 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 ethicsChristian ethics

b ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group professional ethics

c : a guiding philosophy

d : a consciousness of moral importance forge a conservation ethic

3 ethics plural : a set of moral issues or aspects (such as rightness) debated the ethics of human cloning

Synonyms Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference? More Example Sentences Learn More about ethic

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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 Challenging norms is an integral part of Thompson’s ethic. — Roxane Gay, Town & Country, "The Talented Tessa Thompson," 15 Jan. 2021 Trump has acted in keeping with an exaggerated version of this ethic, throwing aside truth and the law in pursuit of a second term to which he is not entitled. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "The Flight 93 Post-Election," 15 Jan. 2021 The book was largely written before the virus but perfectly captures the technology ethic unleashed by the virus. — David Meyer, Fortune, "The great digital acceleration," 14 Jan. 2021 Sandel is aware of the appeal of the ethic of mastery, which inspires in individuals a sense of empowerment and responsibility for their own fate. — Win Mccormack, The New Republic, "Meritocracy on Trial," 23 Dec. 2020 During the last four decades, the autonomous striving self has returned to the center of the success ethic, but featured in a new narrative that has focused less on plodding diligence and more on talent, brains, and credentialed expertise. — Jackson Lears, The New York Review of Books, "Orthodoxy of the Elites," 5 Jan. 2021 And Jefferson, in turn, after digging through Christianity’s burial heap, would rescue those of its tenets which accorded with reason—his reason—from the vicious ethic that had grown up around it. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, "What Thomas Jefferson Could Never Understand About Jesus," 28 Dec. 2020 The second ethic is associated with the realist, who codes as a savvy pol and cares about results. — Corey Robin, The New Yorker, "The Professor and the Politician," 12 Nov. 2020 Former Piston Will Bynum, who has been training Hayes since last summer, told me his worth ethic is Kobe Bryant-esque. — Omari Sankofa Ii, Detroit Free Press, "NBA draft 2020: Detroit Pistons stick with Killian Hayes in our final mock draft," 18 Nov. 2020

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.