ethically
Americanadverb
-
in a way that relates to morals, the principles of morality, or right and wrong conduct.
It is ethically unjustifiable to provide a lower standard of care to patients with lower income.
-
in a way that accords with moral principles or the rules or norms for right conduct, often specific to a profession.
Teachers have an obligation to act ethically, promoting positive values and maintaining professional standards of behavior.
Other Word Forms
- hyperethically adverb
- nonethically adverb
- pseudoethically adverb
- superethically adverb
Etymology
Origin of ethically
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.
The answer unfurls in your question: Do you believe that you ethically owe half of the winnings to your friend?
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
Last week, Israel's military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, strongly condemned settler violence, calling it "morally and ethically unacceptable" and a danger to security.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Neither is it ethically appropriate for a media company to pretend it doesn’t exist, or to recast it as a launch for a reality show storyline.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
In rare diseases and advanced cancer, such demands can be impractical, ethically dubious and less informative than carefully analyzed real-world evidence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
It has no legal status, but socially and ethically is an ancient and vigorous institution.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
