ethical

English

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛθɪkəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

ethical (comparative more ethical, superlative most ethical)

1. (philosophy, not comparable) Of or relating to the study of ethics.

   The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.

2. (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.

3. (comparable) Morally approvable; good.

   We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.

4. (of a drug, not comparable) Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.

   In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.

Derived terms

• ethical investment
• ethical system
• meta-ethical
• (morally approvable): unethical

Related terms

• ethic
• ethics
• ethos

Translations

of or relating to the study of ethics

• Afrikaans: etiek
• Catalan: ètic
• Czech: etický (cs) m
• Dutch: ethisch (nl)
• French: éthique (fr)
• German: ethisch (de)
• Greek: ηθικός (el) (ithikós)
• Irish: eiticiúil
• Latvian: ētisks

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: etisk

  Nynorsk: etisk

• Polish: etyczny (pl) m
• Romanian: etic (ro)
• Russian: эти́ческий (ru) (etíčeskij)
• Spanish: ético (es)
• Turkish: etik (tr), töre bilimsel
• Yiddish: עטיש‎ (etish)

of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession

• Hebrew: אֶתִי‎ (he) (éti), מוּסָרִי‎ (musarí)
• Latvian: ētisks
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: etisk

  Nynorsk: etisk

• Polish: etyczny (pl) m
• Russian: эти́ческий (ru) (etíčeskij)
• Spanish: ético (es)
• Turkish: etik (tr)
• Yiddish: עטיש‎ (etish)

morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good

• Catalan: ètic
• Latvian: ētisks
• Maori: matatika
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: etisk

  Nynorsk: etisk

• Polish: etyczny (pl) m
• Russian: эти́чный (ru) (etíčnyj)
• Spanish: ético (es)
• Yiddish: עטיש‎ (etish)

only dispensed on the prescription of a physician

See also

• ethical dative

Noun

ethical (plural ethicals)

1. An ethical drug.

Further reading

• 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

• alethic