ethic

American  

[eth-ik] / ˈɛθ ɪk /

noun

• ethics
  plural

1. the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group.

   the Christian ethic; the tribal ethic of the Zuni.

2. a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual.

   a personal ethic.

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ethic British  

/ ˈɛθɪk /

noun

1. a moral principle or set of moral values held by an individual or group

   the Puritan ethic

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adjective

1. another word for ethical

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonethic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ethics
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ethic

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ethic, etic, from Latin ēthicus, from Greek ēthikós, equivalent to êth(os) ethos + -ikos -ic

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Explanation

An ethic is framework, or guiding principle, and it's often moral. People with a strong work ethic believe that hard work is a good thing in and of itself. A social ethic might include "treating people as you want to be treated." Used in the plural, ethics refers to the moral rules that you live by. You can use it generally, as in: "my ethics don’t include cheating." Or you can use it specifically, as in: "Slander and the running of negative ads do not seem to contradict the senator’s political ethics."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ethic ethics

"What came through more than anything else was his determination to succeed. That work ethic was clear."

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

What I will say about Sullivan is he has the work ethic to go with the talent.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

USC center Tobias Raymond’s mother died of cancer when he was in the eighth grade, but her lessons on work ethic and leadership continue to inspire him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

The autonomy ethic that is so comfortable for non-Orthodox Jewish Americans can be seen as diametrically opposed to the ideas of divine command and judgment that are so deeply embedded in traditional Judaism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

A majority of the nongraduates are young men, and some come from towns where the factory work ethic, to get working as soon as possible, remains strong, even if the factories themselves are vanishing.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

The Kings note the episode is interested in interrogating the cult of the tech mogul, specifically examining how figures operate outside of traditional ethics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

A White House official said Bo Hines was no longer a White House employee and that the administration expects its staff to comply with all applicable federal ethics laws and regulations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Counsel to the inquiry Teniola Onabanjo asked Harry if NHS England recognised that the enthusiasm for innovation might "outpace" the scrutiny of consent and ethics when it comes to camera technology.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Government ethics ranked second behind the economy in Pew's open-ended survey, cited by nine percent of voters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

But his work with the NSA in the mid-1950s brought his concerns to the fore, and the ethics of secrecy started to consume him.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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Related Words

• fairness
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• moral
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