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ethics

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ethics

  • /ˈɛθ.ɪks/ Canada, US, UK
  • /ˈeθ.ɪks/ Australia
  • /ˈeθ.əks/ New Zealand

Where it comes from

From Middle English etik, from Middle French ethique, from Late Latin ethica, from Ancient Greek ἠθική (ēthikḗ), from ἠθικός (ēthikós, “of or for morals, moral, expressing character”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, moral nature”).

noun ethics

  1. countable, uncountable Morality. Her decision was guided by her strong personal ethics.
  2. countable, uncountable The standards that govern the conduct of a person, especially a member of a profession. The professor teaches a course on business ethics.
  3. countable, uncountable The study of principles relating to right and wrong conduct.

    Similar: deontology, moral philosophy

noun

  1. plural plural of ethic

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: moral philosophy, morality, ethical motive, morals, ethical, deontological, deontology, ethos, moral, mores, virtue, morally, ethically, behaviour, fairness, manners

Translations

Every language

noun standards of conduct

Españolética
한국어윤리 yulli
日本語倫理 rinri
中文倫理 /伦理 lúnlǐ, 道德 dàodé
हिन्दीआचार ācār, आचरण ācraṇ
Portuguêsética
Françaiséthique
DeutschVerhaltenskodex, Ethik
Italianoetica
Русскийэ́тика étika
Tiếng Việtluân lý
العربيةأَخْلَاق ʔaḵlāq, أَدَب ʔadab
עבריתאֶתִיקָה

noun study of principles governing right and wrong conduct

Españolética
한국어윤리학 yullihak
日本語倫理学 rinrigaku
中文倫理學 /伦理学 lúnlǐxué
हिन्दीआचारशास्त्र ācārśāstra
Portuguêsética
Françaiséthique
DeutschEthik
Italianoetica
Ελληνικάηθική ithikí
Русскийэ́тика étika
Tiếng Việtluân lý học, đạo đức học
العربيةعِلْم الْأَخْلَاق ʕilm al-ʔaḵlāq

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Cite this
MLA

"ethics." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ethics. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

ethics. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ethics

Chicago

"ethics." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ethics.

BibTeX
@misc{ethics_2026,
  title = {ethics},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ethics},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}