ethic
Americannoun
-
the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group.
the Christian ethic; the tribal ethic of the Zuni.
-
a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual.
a personal ethic.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ethic
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ethic, etic, from Latin ēthicus, from Greek ēthikós, equivalent to êth(os) ethos + -ikos -ic
Explanation
An ethic is framework, or guiding principle, and it's often moral. People with a strong work ethic believe that hard work is a good thing in and of itself. A social ethic might include "treating people as you want to be treated." Used in the plural, ethics refers to the moral rules that you live by. You can use it generally, as in: "my ethics don’t include cheating." Or you can use it specifically, as in: "Slander and the running of negative ads do not seem to contradict the senator’s political ethics."
Vocabulary lists containing ethic
The Suffix -ic, Part 1
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Outliers
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Life Is So Good
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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.
“We have the best culture, the best men, the best women, the best work ethic, the best team — you name it, we have.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
Chicago gave credit to Parazaider for conceiving of the band’s distinct instrumentation, and the work ethic that made them stars.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
For decades, she’s cultivated an image built around relentless work ethic, optimism and early mornings spent turning ideas into reality.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
But we’ve never replaced that ethic of restraint, that lost limit on shares.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Keeth had parlayed his skills and work ethic from fencing into an MBA from Columbia University and a job in the financial sector.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
