ethical

adjective

eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
variants or less commonly ethic
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 noun
ethically adverb
ethicalness noun
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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethical was circa 1573

Dictionary Entries Near ethical

Cite this Entry

“Ethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethical. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

ethical

adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
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 adverb

Medical Definition

ethical

1 of 2 adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈeth-i-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
variants also ethic
1
: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
2
of a drug : restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription
ethically adverb

ethical

2 of 2 noun
: an ethical drug

Legal Definition

ethical

adjective
eth·​i·​cal ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
1
: of or relating to ethics
2
: conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct
ethically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on ethical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!