Protestant work ethic

Cultural  

1. A view of life that promotes hard work and self-discipline as a means to material prosperity. It is called Protestant because some Protestant groups believe that such prosperity is a sign of God's grace.

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Example Sentences

A lot of state intervention was understandable, given the economic realities, Mr. Massie judges, but “it did much to harm the Protestant work ethic that had once been so important in Scotland.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Moyes, 53, credits her Protestant work ethic for her success, which was evident from an early age.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2023

Her chapter on personal time management, for example, moves from the Protestant work ethic to what she calls “productivity bros” to the standardized A-F grading system to eugenics and scientific racism.

From Washington Post • Mar. 3, 2023

Watching movies like "Double Indemnity," "Easy Rider" and "Office Space," you might think Americans had never heard of the Protestant work ethic – the spirit of sacrifice and delayed gratification that helped build capitalism.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2022

Or a commitment to the Protestant work ethic?

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides