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ethic

noun
eth·​ic | \ ˈe-thik How to pronounce ethic (audio) \

Definition of ethic

1 ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation
2a : a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values the present-day materialistic ethic an old-fashioned work ethic —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction an elaborate ethicsChristian ethics
b ethics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group professional ethics
c : a guiding philosophy
d : a consciousness of moral importance forge a conservation ethic
3 ethics plural : a set of moral issues or aspects (such as rightness) debated the ethics of human cloning
Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference? More Example Sentences Learn More about ethic

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Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?

Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.

Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:

It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.

He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014

While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:

Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.

Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990

In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:

Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016

The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016

Examples of ethic in a Sentence

Ethics is his chosen field of study.

Recent Examples on the Web

 Several wonk shops are being set up to examine the ethics of algorithmic technology, including one at Oxford backed by a £150m donation from Stephen Schwarzman, the boss of Blackstone, a private-equity firm. — The Economist, "British ethicists are challenging justice by algorithm," 8 Aug. 2019 First, Google dropped out of the race after employees petitioned against the contract, raising concerns over the ethics of supplying its technology to the military. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Pentagon pauses $10 billion cloud contract over Amazon concerns," 1 Aug. 2019 Taliaferro doesn’t shy away from the issues posed by his subject’s life, including the ethics of hunting, the level of development that should be allowed in a national park, even homosexuality. — Dennis Drabelle, chicagotribune.com, "Grinnell: The adventurer who helped preserve wild lands and Native American history," 23 July 2019 Florida Man is a microcosm of the way so many of us are struggling with the ethics of how to behave on the Internet, and how easily an ironic joke, multiplied by millions of shares, can begin to feel like freak-show mockery or viral cyberbullying. — Author: Logan Hill, Anchorage Daily News, "Is it OK to laugh at Florida Man?," 16 July 2019 Since the beginnings of originalism in the 1970s, most conservatives have advocated an ethic of judicial restraint. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, "The Conservative Sensibility Is George Will’s Definitive Declaration," 20 June 2019 Researchers continue to wrangle with CRISPR while others debate the ethics of catching criminals with public genealogy data. — Jessica Mcdonald, Discover Magazine, "The State of Science, 2019: Genetics," 16 June 2019 But the ethics of this practice are less straightforward. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Artificial Intelligence Generates Humans’ Faces Based on Their Voices," 13 June 2019 In light of the scandal that has swirled around the couple, and the ongoing debate about the workplace ethics of Amazon, Mackenzie's pledged generosity may be the best thing to ever come out of the company. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Mackenzie Bezos Signs a Pledge to Give Half Her Fortune to Charity—Your Move, Jeff," 28 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ethic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ethic

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ethic

Middle English ethik, from Middle French ethique, from Latin ethice, from Greek ēthikē, from ēthikos

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More Definitions for ethic

ethic

noun
How to pronounce ethic (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ethic

: rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad
: an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad behavior : a branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right or wrong
: a belief that something is very important

See the full definition for ethic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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