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In Greek, ēthos means “custom” or “character.” As originally used by Aristotle, it referred to a person’s character or personality, especially with respect to a balance between passion and caution. In English, ethos is used today to refer to the practices or values that distinguish one person, organization, or society from others. In rhetoric, ethos is often studied alongside pathos and logos as a technique to successfully persuade an audience. Related terms in the English language include ethics (“a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong”) and ethology (“a branch of knowledge dealing with human character and with its formation and evolution”).
Examples of ethos in a Sentence
Anne Ritter, The Conversation, 2 May 2025
This same ethos comes through when dining at the resort, as executive chef Andrés Donoso Cancino works almost exclusively with Chilean producers and grows fruits in the hotel’s garden, including pomegranates and figs.
—Liz Humphreys, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2025
Full-time chefs with pedigreed backgrounds oversee these savory journeys that often involve a plant-to-plate ethos at vineyards with extensive culinary gardens growing alongside the grapes.
—Katie Sweeney, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
After years of rot, a lone January window wasn’t going to infuse this United side with the tactical ethos needed to yield positive results.
—Brett Koremenos, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ethos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethos. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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