ethical

American  

[eth-i-kuhl] / ˈɛθ ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct.

2. being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice, especially the standards of a profession.

   It was not considered ethical for physicians to advertise.

   Synonyms:

   honorable, virtuous, righteous, honest, upright, moral

   Antonyms:

   immoral

3. (of drugs) sold only upon medical prescription.

---

ethical British  

/ ˈɛθɪkəl /

adjective

1. in accordance with principles of conduct that are considered correct, esp those of a given profession or group

2. of or relating to ethics

3. (of a medicinal agent) available legally only with a doctor's prescription or consent

---

Other Word Forms

• ethicality
  noun
• ethicalness
  noun
• hyperethical
  adjective
• nonethical
  adjective
• pseudoethical
  adjective
• superethical
  adjective
• unethical
  adjective
• ethically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of ethical

First recorded in 1600–10; ethic + -al ¹

Explanation

For someone who is honest and follows good moral standards, use the adjective ethical. An ethical teacher will grade your papers honestly — even if she catches you sticking your tongue out at her. Ethical comes from the Greek ethos "moral character" and describes a person or behavior as right in the moral sense - truthful, fair, and honest. Sometimes the word is used for people who follow the moral standards of their profession. An ethical lawyer or doctor does not try to take advantage of the client or patient's unfortunate situation. If something has happened and you are not sure what the right thing to do is, you are having an ethical dilemma.

Example Sentences

The long exploitation of Indigenous Americans, and the looming power of U.S. slave states on Mexico’s borders, made a ban on slavery both an ethical and a strategic imperative in Mexico’s new constitution.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

Critics have raised a host of ethical, constitutional and security concerns about the gifting of an aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars by a foreign power like Qatar.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

But the biggest dilemma is largely an ethical one.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2026

She’s an adult, so fessing up was obviously the ethical and right thing to do.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026

There, lawyers could use the Nuremberg Code to establish whether a scientist was acting within the ethical boundaries of the profession.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• good
• honest
• honorable
• humane
• moral
• principled
• proper
• virtuous