work ethic
nounDefinition of work ethic
: a belief in work as a moral good : a set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard
Examples of work ethic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Demery’s work ethic was on display all of Saturday afternoon. — Chapel Fowler, charlotteobserver, "Here's what this former Charlotte prep star did to get noticed at his Hornets workout," 2 June 2018 Longtime Simeon coach Robert Smith praised Pinson’s work ethic. — Aaron Reiss, kansascity, "Mizzou basketball will need Xavier Pinson to bulk up, so he's eating 'a lot' of PB&J," 4 May 2018 Child Protective Services investigators once complained about Valdez’s work ethic to Campos. — Emilie Eaton, San Antonio Express-News, "Six months after a sex-crimes detective was fired, a woman still waits for justice," 16 Apr. 2018 One reason for Asia’s relative stinginess may be a lingering belief that safety nets erode people’s work ethic and foster dependency. — The Economist, "How developing countries weave social safety nets," 12 Apr. 2018 The Ravens coaches won’t say anything about Flacco’s work ethic, but the extra time might be the difference between getting into the postseason or missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, "Preston: A little more from Joe Flacco might make a big difference to the Ravens," 26 Mar. 2018 Langkabel’s work ethic was forged by his parents, Leigh and Kristi Langkabel. — Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star, "Can this Hickory-Mayberry combo in Shelby County win its sectional with Hayden Langkabel?," 18 Jan. 2018 Unsurprisingly, there was a partisan gulf in how people viewed Trump’s work ethic. — Philip Bump, Washington Post, "Americans think Trump doesn't work as hard as most presidents," 17 Jan. 2018 Nielsen quickly won the retired general’s trust, impressing him with her work ethic and command of the issues. — Washington Post, "‘Great job,’ says Trump: Nielsen back in good graces for now," 21 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'work ethic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on work ethic
What made you want to look up work ethic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
-
- Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz
A mythological/etymological mashup!
Take the quiz -
Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz
Words to improve your Scrabble game
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share work ethic
Resources for work ethic