ethics

American  

[eth-iks] / ˈɛθ ɪks /

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles.

   the ethics of a culture.

2. (used with a plural verb) the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: Christian ethics.

   medical ethics;

   Christian ethics.

3. (used with a plural verb) moral principles, as of an individual.

   His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

4. (used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

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ethics British  

/ ˈɛθɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct and of the rules and principles that ought to govern it; moral philosophy See also meta-ethics

2. (functioning as plural) a social, religious, or civil code of behaviour considered correct, esp that of a particular group, profession, or individual

3. (functioning as plural) the moral fitness of a decision, course of action, etc

   he doubted the ethics of their verdict

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ethics Cultural  

1. The branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is concerned with distinguishing between good and evil in the world, between right and wrong human actions, and between virtuous and nonvirtuous characteristics of people.

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Usage

What are ethics? Ethics are a system of moral principles or rules that say what is and is not acceptable. Generally speaking, ethics refer to the rules or code of conduct that people use to determine when an action is acceptable or not. Often, a person’s ethics are based on the rules of their society, such as laws or religious teachings. A society’s ethics might say that it is wrong to steal from someone else, for example. You may have your own ethics that are different from the society or community you live in. For example, you may move from a country where owning a gun is legal to one where it is not. In this case, your personal ethics (your belief that owning a gun is okay) may contradict the ethics of the country you now live in. In philosophy, the word ethics is used to mean the study of what makes a person decide what is right and wrong. Philosophers often use the word morality to mean the same thing. Outside of philosophy, though, we consider ethics and morals to be two different sets of values. Generally speaking, the difference between the two is that ethics are what a community considers to be right and wrong, and morals are what an individual considers to be good and bad or evil.

Related Words

See moral.

Other Word Forms

• ethicist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ethics

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English ethic + -s ³, modeled on Greek tà ēthiká, neuter plural

Explanation

When discussing a code of morals, choose the noun ethics. You might call a politician who uses taxpayer money for wild parties a little "ethics-challenged." Ethics can mean the study of morality — what's right and wrong. When discussing this branch of philosophy, treat the word as singular, despite the "-s": "Ethics is no longer widely taught." But in the sense of "moral correctness" or "a moral code," treat it as plural: "The ethics of capital punishment are complex." Don't confuse it with ethos, which means "the characteristic spirit of a culture." (Both words come from Greek ethos, "moral character.")

Example Sentences

“I get that he’s an adult and gave his consent, but it’s still reasonable to question the ethics of doing this without any real purpose,” said Marino.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

Measure G, passed by voters in 2024, will nearly double the size of the Board of Supervisors and create an elected chief executive position as well as an independent ethics commission.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Every leaked document absorbed without consequence, every ethics violation quietly settled, every financial disclosure confirming what everyone suspected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

There are reasonable questions to be asked about transparency, accountability and the ethics of certain investigative techniques.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

In philosophy, or religion, or ethics, or politics, two and two might make five, but when one was designing a gun or an airplane they had to make four.

From "1984" by George Orwell