1
as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
the ethical behavior expected of every member of the police force
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honest
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
the ethical course of action for the senator who lied to Congress would be to resign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in moral
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong
ethical writers do not use the words of other writers without giving them proper credit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ethical
This requires the kind of moral development that only human beings, who face real ethical challenges and make real decisions, can undergo.
—
Gregg D. Caruso, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Even in states where the death penalty remains on the books, legal, ethical and political hurdles have led to yearslong delays in carrying out executions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Henry’s journey leads him down a road of manipulation and ethical uncertainty.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Some question whether the interest in crime content is ethical, but Golub said there are a lot of different reasons people are interested.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ethical
Gregg D. Caruso, The Conversation, 21 May 2025
Even in states where the death penalty remains on the books, legal, ethical and political hurdles have led to yearslong delays in carrying out executions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
Henry’s journey leads him down a road of manipulation and ethical uncertainty.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Some question whether the interest in crime content is ethical, but Golub said there are a lot of different reasons people are interested.
—Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethical
Adjective
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After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Quang enjoyed a successful pharmaceutical sales stint as a top producer for Astra/Merck and then Genentech.—
Quang X. Pham,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
Instead, most of Bernadette’s assumptions — that working the border is an honorable act, or that a federal position will imbue her with more authority, or that all Native people will have the same opinions and the same goals — are upended over the course of the season.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There has been no new-manager bounce, but instead a series of very honest press conferences about how long the United rebuild could take.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Comforting touch should be honest and clear – not ambiguous, not tentative and never assumed.—
Brian N. Chin,
The Conversation,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Judges sometimes make decisions that are objectionable from a moral and legal standpoint.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
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Revolutionary fervor and strict moral codes reshaped film, censoring depictions of gender, modern lifestyles, and social realities.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The formula for ‘true tackles’ is slightly more long-winded: tackles + challenges lost + fouls committed.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Looking back more than six decades, it’s generally agreed by automotive historians that the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the first true muscle car.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The maximum charging speed is a respectable 128 kW for the larger battery and 102 kW for the smaller one, which equates to a charge from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.—
Utkarsh Sood,
New Atlas,
24 May 2025
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Duchene has a respectable 18 individual scoring chances in the playoffs, per Natural Stat Trick, including 11 high-danger ones.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Hybrid tea roses are the classic case as continual new waves of flowers depend on conscientious removal of spent blooms.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
24 May 2025
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Mowery recently launched Azure Road, a new culinary, travel, and lifestyle publication for conscientious consumers.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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While the formula played nice with the sensitive skin on our tester’s hairline, its toning effects only lasted a few days.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
16 May 2025
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But anyone hoping to hit the open road needs to know one thing: some drivers just aren't very nice, especially in certain states.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The news comes on the heels of THR’s 58 SoCal Journalism Awards nominations, including best website and three journalist of the year noms.—
THR Staff,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2025
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Here are 5 of the best Our best wishes on a safe start to the day.—
Quartz Staff,
Quartz,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethical. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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