bioethics

American  

[bahy-oh-eth-iks] / ˌbaɪ oʊˈɛθ ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

1. a field of study concerned with the ethics and philosophical implications of certain biological and medical procedures, technologies, and treatments, as organ transplants, genetic engineering, and care of the terminally ill.

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bioethics British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊˈɛθɪks, ˌbaɪəʊˈɛθɪsɪst /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the study of ethical problems arising from biological research and its applications in such fields as organ transplantation, genetic engineering, or artificial insemination

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bioethics Scientific  

/ bī′ō-ĕth′ĭks /

1. The study of the ethical and moral implications of medical research and practice.

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bioethics Cultural  

1. The application of ethics to the science and practice of biology, especially as modern science is applied to human life and reproduction.

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Discover More

With the advent of cloning and research on embryonic stem cells, bioethics has become an important branch of scientific inquiry.

Other Word Forms

• bioethical adjective
• bioethicist noun

Etymology

Origin of bioethics

First recorded in 1970–75; bio- + ethics

Example Sentences

“It’s impossible to tell patients about the full range of possible bad outcomes, because there are good reasons to think that’s infinity,” said Nir Eyal, who studies bioethics at Rutgers School of Public Health.

From Slate • May 2, 2025

Seema Mohapatra, a health law and bioethics expert at Southern Methodist University, told Salon, she is concerned about the renewed focus on the Comstock Act.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2024

It’s legal in most to use fetal tissue for research, said Alta Charo, an emeritus professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024

Not only bioethics curricula, but all medical disciplines can integrate learning about and from this history.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 9, 2023

“I have a particular interest in bioethics, and Rae lets me explore that. Why’d you want to come here, Jenna?”

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson