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

As some have pointed out, the Protestant work ethic is still very much alive today.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2024

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

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2023

This gripe demonstrates how deeply we’ve absorbed the Protestant work ethic and its assertion that people should want to work for the sake of their own virtue, regardless of material conditions and compensation.

From Washington Post • Aug. 27, 2021

Or a commitment to the Protestant work ethic?

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides