Ethic Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

The meaning of ETHIC is a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction. Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut ethic noun SaveWord eth·​ic |\ˈe-thik \ Definitionofethic 1a :asetofmoralprinciples:atheoryorsystemofmoralvalues thepresent-daymaterialisticethicanold-fashionedworkethic —oftenusedinpluralbutsingularorpluralinconstructionanelaborateethicsChristianethics b ethics\ ˈe-​thiks \pluralinformbutsingularorpluralinconstruction :theprinciplesofconductgoverninganindividualoragroup professionalethics c :aconsciousnessofmoralimportance forgeaconservationethic d :aguidingphilosophy 2 ethicsplural :asetofmoralissuesoraspects(suchasrightness) debatedtheethicsofhumancloning 3 ethicspluralinformbutsingularorpluralinconstruction :thedisciplinedealingwithwhatisgoodandbadandwithmoraldutyandobligation Synonyms EthicsvsMorals:Isthereadifference? MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingethic LearnMoreAboutethic Synonymsforethic Synonyms ethos,morality,morals,norms,principles,standards VisittheThesaurusforMore  EthicsvsMorals:Isthereadifference? Ethicsandmoralsarebothusedinthepluralandareoftenregardedassynonyms,butthereissomedistinctioninhowtheyareused. Moralsoftendescribesone'sparticularvaluesconcerningwhatisrightandwhatiswrong: Itwouldgoagainstmymoralstohelpyoucheatonthetest. Heappearstoviewhimselfasakindofculturewarrior,strikingoutagainstthecrumblingmoralsofmodernsociety. JonathanGoldsbie,NowToronto,16Oct.2014 Whileethicscanreferbroadlytomoralprinciples,oneoftenseesitappliedtoquestionsofcorrectbehaviorwithinarelativelynarrowareaofactivity: Ourclasshadadebateovertheethicsofgenetictesting. Anybody,itseemed,couldmakethemusic--iftheycouldn'tplayguitar,theycouldpushabutton --andnobodyworriedabouttheethicsofappropriatingriffs. JenniferFoote,Newsweek,23July1990 Inaddition,moralsusuallyconnotesanelementofsubjectivepreference,whileethicstendstosuggestaspectsofuniversalfairnessandthequestionofwhetherornotanactionisresponsible: Perhapsyoudon’tlikeKimKardashian,orherfamily,orhermoralsdon’talignwithyours,oryoujustthinkit’sweirdthatshemighthavehadsomeplasticsurgery,likestoapplymakeupinareallycomplicatedwayandnamedherkid“Saint.” SarahBoboltz,TheHuffingtonPost,12Oct.2016 TheFrenches,bothprofessorsinTheMediaSchool,focusedontheethicsofmakingmedicaldecisionsforachildwhocouldnotexpressherownwishesyet… ChrisMura,IndianaDailyStudent,18Oct.2016 ExamplesofethicinaSentence Ethicsishischosenfieldofstudy. RecentExamplesontheWeb TheZionistcollectivistethic,definedpartlyinoppositiontothetemptationsoftheindividualistWest,stillheldswayinearly-seventiesIsrael,andtheconveniencesoftheAmericansuburbswerenonexistent. — AlexandraSchwartz,TheNewYorker,16May2022 Thatethicbeganwithhisparents,whoworkedtirelesslyfortheirfamilyandpushedtheyoungKhaledtostrivehardanddreambig. — A.d.Amorosi,Variety,10Apr.2022 Simmonsembracedanethicofold-schoolbootstrapperismthathasbarelyagedadayingymsacrossAmerica. — LaurenMicheleJackson,TheNewYorker,7Apr.2022 Megan’sgreat-grandmother—herBigMama—exemplifiedtheethicofcommunitycarethathascometodefineMegan’sethos. — ZandriaRobinson,Glamour,2Nov.2021 Anethicofsharedresponsibility,willingthegoodoftheotherandnotjustconsent,wouldmakethatburdenmoreevenlydistributed. — JevaLange,TheWeek,22Mar.2022 Theloveethicofraceandplace,familiarityandorigin,makeswomendefendmen,andworkerscoverfortheirmanagersandcrosslinesmoreconsequentialbutlessconcretethanthepicket. — VinsonCunningham,TheNewYorker,31Jan.2022 Topropingoutdoorsisusefulinareaswheretherockqualitydoesnotallowforadequateleaderprotection,whereboltingisnotpartofthelocalethic,orwheretop-ropescanbesetoffoftrees. — ChrisBrinleeJr.,OutsideOnline,16Mar.2016 Thisisalsoacitythatoncepioneeredthe‘do-your-thing’ethicofequality,aplacewhereideologyhasoftenclashedwithpracticality. — WashingtonPost,22Feb.2022 SeeMore Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'ethic.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. PhrasesContainingethic Protestantethic workethic Protestantethic workethic FirstKnownUseofethic 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense3 HistoryandEtymologyforethic MiddleEnglishethik,fromMiddleFrenchethique,fromLatinethice,fromGreekēthikē,fromēthikos LearnMoreAboutethic Shareethic PosttheDefinitionofethictoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofethiconTwitter TimeTravelerforethic Thefirstknownuseofethicwas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury DictionaryEntriesNearethic etherophone ethic ethical SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforethic LastUpdated 19May2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Ethic.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic.Accessed4Jun.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MorefromMerriam-Websteronethic Nglish:TranslationofethicforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofethicforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY decry SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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