work ethic

noun

a belief in the moral benefit and importance of work and its inherent ability to strengthen character.

Origin of work ethic

First recorded in 1950–55

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British Dictionary definitions for work ethic

work ethic

noun

a belief in the moral value of work (often in the phrase Protestant work ethic)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012