Synonyms

ethically

American

[eth-i-klee] / ˈɛθ ɪ kli /

adverb

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

ethical ( def. ) + -ly

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 two million files that have yet to be made public are ones Nicky said she wants to see released "properly, honestly, ethically".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 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

"Some of these tools are not ethically dubious at all. They're trained by people that are using their own work," she added.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Zainab Iftikhar, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Brown who led the study, set out to examine whether carefully worded prompts could guide AI systems to behave more ethically in mental health settings.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

“You haven’t acted ethically yourself today,” observed the captain.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023