ethical
ETH-ih-kul
/ˈeθɪkəl/
Relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these.
Something can be legal but not ethical. Ethics is about 'should,' while law is about 'must.'
The story behind the word. From the Greek 'ethos', meaning character or custom. It originally referred to the 'haunts' or 'stabling' of animals—the place where they habitually lived. Ethics is our 'habitual' way of behaving.
Word relationships
- moral: Moral is often more personal or religious; ethical is often more professional or societal.
- unethical: Unethical describes actions that violate accepted moral standards.
Commonly confused with
- legal: Legal means allowed by law; ethical means right according to moral principles.
Word family
- ethics (noun): Moral principles that govern a person's behavior.
- ethicist (noun): A person who specializes in or writes on ethics.
Collocations
- ethical dilemma
- ethical standards
- ethical investment
Example sentences
- "The company made an ethical decision to pull the product from the shelves, even though they weren't legally required to do so yet." Business Strategy
Memory hook
Ethical behavior is 'Ethical'—it's the 'Correct' 'Call' for your character. Character in action.
When not to use
Don't use it to mean 'nice' or 'kind'; it's about a systematic moral framework.
Fun facts
- The 'Ethical Consumer' movement encourages people to buy products that are made without exploiting workers or the environment.
Related words
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