ethical

American  

[eth-i-kuhl] / ˈɛθ ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct.

2. being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice, especially the standards of a profession.

   It was not considered ethical for physicians to advertise.

   Synonyms:

   honorable, virtuous, righteous, honest, upright, moral

   Antonyms:

   immoral

3. (of drugs) sold only upon medical prescription.

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ethical British  

/ ˈɛθɪkəl /

adjective

1. in accordance with principles of conduct that are considered correct, esp those of a given profession or group

2. of or relating to ethics

3. (of a medicinal agent) available legally only with a doctor's prescription or consent

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Other Word Forms

• ethicality noun
• ethically adverb
• ethicalness noun
• hyperethical adjective
• nonethical adjective
• pseudoethical adjective
• superethical adjective
• unethical adjective

Etymology

Origin of ethical

First recorded in 1600–10; ethic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Mr. Klosterman aims to evaluate football from every conceivable angle, including the ethical question of whether such a violent sport should be banned.

From The Wall Street Journal

Scientists have expressed ethical concerns about the sale of meteorites, which are often coveted for research purposes and hold important clues about the make-up of the early solar system.

From Barron's

Related: ‘I‘m facing an ethical dilemma’: My widowed mother is cutting my step siblings out of the family trust.

From MarketWatch

As artificial intelligence continues to advance and ethical concerns grow alongside it, scientists say the need to understand consciousness has reached a critical point.

From Science Daily

At the start of this year, they said they were exploring new ways to strengthen ethical policy and fundraising.

From BBC

Related Words

• good
• honest
• honorable
• humane
• moral
• principled
• proper
• virtuous