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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ethical differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ethical are moral, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

When is moral a more appropriate choice than ethical?

The meanings of moral and ethical largely overlap; however, moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

When would noble be a good substitute for ethical?

Although the words noble and ethical have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

When is it sensible to use righteous instead of ethical?

The words righteous and ethical are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

When might virtuous be a better fit than ethical?

While the synonyms virtuous and ethical are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ethical The rules — medical, ethical, and personal — are being written in real time. Dr. Sabooh Mubbashar, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2025 Reporting Highlights Emails Revealed: Court records show emails between Ed Martin and an ally urging online criticism of a judge handling a case he was involved in, which experts say is an ethical violation. Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2025 Many organizations are actively working on ethical AI frameworks to address bias and ensure fair, transparent decision-making processes. Chaitanya Laxminarayana, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Maintaining an open dialogue around these issues is necessary to balance rapid technological advancement with crucial ethical and societal considerations. Francis Hellyer, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethical
Adjective
  • Take the cake out of the equation and address his actions, which, on that day, were less than honorable.
    Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Naturally, the honorable scout leader is horrified by what’s happening to him.
    Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The families who manage this best are the ones who acknowledge it openly, and make space for honest conversations.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • But that was less Counsell putting Brown on notice about his spot in the rotation and more so just being honest.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • Eighty years since the end of World War II, Amsterdam’s mayor apologized for the city’s role in the persecution of its Jewish residents during the Holocaust, in a rare acknowledgment of a collective moral failure by a city leader.
    Anupreeta Das, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • The action in Rust is propelled by an accidental killing and its central moral dilemma concerns an infamous man trying to do the right thing.
    Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The Edmonton Oilers entered the postseason with more roster questions than any true Stanley Cup contender this spring.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • While hazing has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, incidents like the one in Syracuse are reminders of how vague the true scope of hazing nationwide remains and the need for more tangible hazing prevention practices, experts and advocates say.
    Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • At least the fielding has looked respectable (ninth in defensive efficiency) and the pitching staff mostly holds its own.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The definitions of what’s crazy, what’s malicious, what’s polite, normal, and respectable all lost some of their force.
    Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Competence: Intelligent, dependable, wise, principled, conscientious • Sophistication: Elegant, composed, worldly, confident, tactful • Ruggedness: Tough, athletic, sturdy, outdoorsy, reliable Most businesses focus on a couple of these.
    Sabine Leveiller, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Less conscientious importers, Fetyani explains, will often bring the car to the port and leave the owner to figure it out from there.
    Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Elite firepower, stingy defense, and all-world goaltending to tie a nice bow on it.
    The Athletic NHL, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • There may be a nice bunch of grapes, a couple slices of melon, and a hunk of juicy homegrown tomato.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • Police and fire departments have sometimes defeated disparate impact challenges over physical fitness test requirements on grounds that good fitness is essential to those jobs.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 5 May 2025
  • This is also a pivotal episode for Ellie and Dina, who get themselves into a good bit of trouble on their first day looking for Abby.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethical. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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