ethic

[eth-ik]

noun

1. 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.

2. a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual.

   a personal ethic.

ethic

/ ˈɛθɪk /

noun

1. a moral principle or set of moral values held by an individual or group

   the Puritan ethic

adjective

1. another word for ethical

Other Word Forms

• nonethic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ethic, etic, from Latin ēthicus, from Greek ēthikós, equivalent to êth(os) ethos + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethic¹

C15: from Latin ēthicus, from Greek éthikos, from ēthos custom; see _ethos

Example Sentences

Voters got an early display of that work ethic when Takaichi slept in a parliamentary dormitory and got to her office to begin work at 3 a.m. on Nov. 7.

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Those trials led to the Nuremberg Code of ethics for human medical experimentation.

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His work ethic shows you what his attitude is like and, against Spurs, he was still chasing players back into his own half from a corner even after he had scored his hat-trick.

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They rode to work in Rolls-Royces and adhered to a Protestant ethic of noblesse oblige.

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Lewis Hamilton has defended his work ethic following criticism from Ferrari chairman John Elkann, saying he wakes up thinking about driving.

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Related Words

• fairness 
• integrity 
• moral 
• morality 
• principle 
• virtue