ethic

American  

[eth-ik] / ˈɛθ ɪk /

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.

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ethic British  

/ ˈɛθɪk /

noun

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

   the Puritan ethic

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adjective

1. another word for ethical

Other Word Forms

• nonethic adjective

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

Example Sentences

He called for Reeves to be investigated by the the prime minister's ethics adviser.

From BBC

The voting public has the power to make AI ethics a defining issue that shapes norms of behavior around technology.

From Salon

Bender had served as the retailer’s interim CEO since May, after its then-chief, Ashley Buchanan, was fired for violating the company’s ethics code.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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