ethical

[eth-i-kuhl]

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.

ethical

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethical¹

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

Example Sentences

“Tom is an exceptionally ethical person,” Sowell said in the June interview, adding that his and Homan’s work steered clear of any real or perceived conflicts of interest.

From Salon

Sergeants are in charge of the custody suite day-to-day and are responsible for upholding the Met's values and ethical standards.

From BBC

If I were talking to a current working professional about AI, we would discuss its ethical and legal implications and what unions can do to protect worker rights and fight for fair compensation.

From Los Angeles Times

"Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds," said Lyonne, who is currently working with "ethical AI" to create a feature film that stars real actors.

From BBC

The constitutional amendment was defined as enshrining "sovereignty in cultural and ethical matters".

From BBC

Related Words

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