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 ethics Christian ethicsb ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group professional ethicsc : a guiding philosophyd : 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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of ethic in a Sentence
Ethics is his chosen field of study.
Recent Examples of ethic from the Web
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The talks with Anbang fell apart in March amid protests from ethics experts and from Democrats, who fretted about conflicts of interest and threats to national security.
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Then, Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway illegally promoted the first daughter line on national television causing widespread concern about the ethics of the Trump family's business and their role in government.
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Have other names sometimes outside of athletics been withheld in seeking informal ethics opinions?
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Kenneth Prager, a professor of medicine and director of clinical ethics at Columbia University, who is not involved in the case, argued that the parents’ wishes should not be brushed aside.
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Maddox was charged with two ethics charges of using his office for personal gain.
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Other groups like Citizens Union and the New York State Bar Association are pushing for more mainstream provisions, such as ethics reform and restructuring the judiciary.
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Diaz de la Portilla, who served as Senate majority leader in his final two years in office, said his priorities are lowering taxes, creating jobs and improving government ethics.
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This system of God ethics differs from ethical humanism.
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.
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. 2016The 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
Origin and Etymology of ethic
Middle English ethik, from Middle French ethique, from Latin ethice, from Greek ēthikē, from ēthikos
Other Philosophy Terms
ETHIC Defined for English Language Learners
ethic
playDefinition of ethic for English Language Learners
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: rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad
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ethics : an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior : a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong
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: a belief that something is very important
Learn More about ethic
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Nglish: Translation of ethic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ethic for Arabic speakers
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