ethos

American  

[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs] / ˈi θɒs, ˈi θoʊs, ˈɛθ ɒs, -oʊs /

noun

1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period.

   In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.

2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.

3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than their thought or emotion.

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ethos British  

/ ˈiːθɒs /

noun

1. the distinctive character, spirit, and attitudes of a people, culture, era, etc

   the revolutionary ethos

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Usage

What does ethos mean? The ethos of a culture or society is its collective spirit or character—the fundamental or underlying beliefs and attitudes that influence its customs and practices. Things sometimes said to have an ethos include countries (the American ethos of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), cultures and subcultures (the punk ethos), and eras in time (the counterculture ethos of the ’60s). The word can also refer collectively to such beliefs and attitudes in a person. The term ethos is also used as the name of a particular method of persuasion in which a person relies on their credibility or character when making an appeal or an argument. In this context, it is often discussed alongside logos (an appeal to logic) and pathos (an appeal to emotion). Example: Our company ethos is based on creating a space where people of all backgrounds feel welcome and valued in the workplace.

Etymology

Origin of ethos

First recorded in 1850–55; from Latin ēthos “character, portrayal of character,” from Greek êthos “custom, habit, disposition character”

Compare meaning

How does ethos compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ethos vs. logos
• pathos vs. ethos

Explanation

Ethos is the spirit of a time or society. It’s the set of beliefs a community lives by. Free spirits might live by the ethos of "anything goes." Zombies might live by the ethos “eat more brains.” The noun ethos refers to the particular rules and values that organize people, although the ethos can vary from group to group. For example, in some cultures individual rights might be highly valued, while in others the good of the community as a whole might be considered more important. The Greek root word ethos is related to “ethics” and refers to moral character. In rhetoric, an appeal to ethos means that a speaker attempts to persuade the audience that she is authoritative and credible.

Example Sentences

"This is a way to highlight the history of Cumberland and bring it into a sustainable-future, clean-energy ethos," she says.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

Founded in 2012, its ethos is to provide opportunities to local disadvantaged people.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

My hardscrabble-farm-raised parents projected a Depression-era ethos that deemed it extravagant to pay someone for tasks you knew how to do—a moral failing, almost.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

“I wondered what happened to these people. I was inspired to fix them because it really goes with our ethos to get people on bicycles, give people second chances.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

She is a child of the sixties; following the pack blindly has never been her ethos.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• ideology
• mentality
• mindset
• spirit