ethical

adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl 

variants or less commonly ethic

ˈe-thik 

1

: of or relating to ethics

ethical theories

2

: involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval

ethical judgments

3

: conforming to accepted standards of conduct

ethical behavior

4

of a drug : restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription

ethicality

ˌe-thə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

ethically

ˈe-thi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

ethicalness

ˈe-thi-kəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• all right
• decent
• good
• honest
• honorable
• just
• moral
• nice
• right
• right-minded
• righteous
• straight
• true
• upright
• virtuous

Choose the Right Synonym for ethical

moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, noble mean conforming to a standard of what is right and good.

moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

Examples of ethical in a Sentence

Some doctors feel that this procedure is not medically ethical.

the ethical behavior expected of every member of the police force

Recent Examples on the Web

Here, artists, experts, and intellectuals examined A.I. from various angles, ranging from ethical connotations to the new frontiers of fashion imagery. —Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2023

Rumman Chowdhury, founder of the nonprofit Humane Intelligence and former head of Twitter’s ethical AI team, says OpenAI’s crisis and reset should be a wake-up call. —Peter Guest, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023

The code of conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court will not prevent the kinds of ethical problems that led to its adoption, because its purpose appears to be to show that the Justices have been perfectly ethical. —Jeannie Suk Gersen, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023

But such efforts involving animals—especially once human cells are added—can quickly pose ethical quandaries. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023

One leading theory is that the board feared Altman was moving too quickly to monetize the company’s AI innovations before proper ethical guardrails could be put in place. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023

In a summary, the justices claim that the Supreme Court needs to have more relaxed ethical rules than lower courts do. —Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2023

Learn to navigate ethical challenges, steer business strategies and contribute to societal good. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Portnow’s departure set off turmoil within the academy including the hiring and quick firing of the group’s next leader, Deborah Dugan, who said she was ousted for calling attention to a variety of financial and ethical violations inside the organization. —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English etik, from Latin ethicus, from Greek ēthikos, from ēthos character — more at sib

First Known Use

circa 1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ethical

• pre-ethical

• pre-ethical

Kids Definition

ethical

adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl 

1

: of or relating to ethics

2

a

: following accepted rules of conduct

b

: following professional standards of conduct

3

: sold only on a doctor's prescription

ethical drugs

ethically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

ethical

1 of 2 adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl 

variants also ethic

-ik 

1

: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct

2

of a drug : restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription

ethically

ˈeth-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

ethical

2 of 2 noun

: an ethical drug

Legal Definition

ethical

adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl 

1

: of or relating to ethics

2

: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct

ethically adverb