work ethic

American

[wurk eth-ik] / ˈwɜrk ˌɛθ ɪk /

noun

a belief in the moral benefit and importance of work and its inherent ability to strengthen character.

work ethic British

noun

a belief in the moral value of work (often in the phrase Protestant work ethic )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of work ethic

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Do you know what one of their albums was called? Work ethic."

From Fox News • Jul. 3, 2021

“We’ve all seen that and it will happen. Work ethic is great. Worked his way right into the clubhouse in a great way, teammates like him, so he’s going to be great.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 13, 2018

Work ethic, human rights values, value of education have all been imported throughout America’s cultivation as a young nation.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2017

Though Johnson and Singh are vastly different personalities from different corners of the world, Diovisalvi sees a common trait: Work ethic.

From Golf Digest • Feb. 21, 2017

Work ethic At the two other venues - an asparagus farm and a home needing renovation - all volunteers turned up.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023