work ethic

[wurk eth-ik]

noun

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

work ethic

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of work ethic¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

When the Dallas Mavericks stunned the basketball world by trading Doncic midway through last season, general manager Nico Harrison questioned his fitness and work ethic.

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He sketches a man who ascended college football’s heights only to fall because of his virtues: the ingenuity that birthed trick plays that fooled opponents but infuriated the game’s purists; a work ethic that led to exhaustion and hospitalization; the self-confidence that masked his insecurities.

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Jared Friedman, a partner at Y Combinator, said the work ethic and energy of San Francisco’s young founders feels like a return to the early days of the internet, when people slept under their desks at companies such as PayPal.

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“That’s his work ethic, right there,” said Candy-Sullivan.

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Others gave an appreciative nod and lauded the Israeli military’s “work ethic” during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

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