ethical
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From ethic + -al, from Late Latin ethicus (“moral, ethical”), from Ancient Greek ἠθικός (ēthikós, “of or for morals, moral, expressing character”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, moral nature”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ethical (comparative more ethical, superlative most ethical)
- (philosophy, not comparable) Of or relating to the study of ethics.
- The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.
- (not comparable) Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession.
- All employees must familiarize themselves with our ethical guidelines.
- (comparable) Morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good.
- We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.
- (of a drug, not comparable) Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.
- In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.
Usage notes[edit]
- In general usage ethical is used to describe standards of behavior between individuals, while moral or immoral can describe any behavior. You can call lying unethical or immoral, for example, because it involves the behavior of one person and how it affects another, but violating dietary prohibitions in a holy text can only be described as immoral.
Derived terms[edit]
- ethical investment
- ethical system
- meta-ethical
- (morally approvable): unethical
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
of or relating to the study of ethics
of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
only dispensed on the prescription of a physician
See also[edit]
Noun[edit]
ethical (plural ethicals)
- An ethical drug.
External links[edit]
- ethical in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- ethical in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- ethical at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms derived from the PIE root *dʰeh₁-
- English words suffixed with -al
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- en:Philosophy
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
