ethical
/ˈɛθɪkəl/ adjective, noun
Forms ethicals
- adjective (philosophy, not comparable) Of or relating to the study of ethics. “The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.”
- adjective (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.”
- adjective (comparable) Morally approvable; good. “We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.”
- adjective (of a drug, not comparable) Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician. “In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.”
- noun An ethical drug, one only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.
Synonyms
Antonyms
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of, or belonging to, morals; treating of the moral feelings or duties; containing percepts of morality; moral; as, ethic discourses or epistles; an ethical system; ethical philosophy.
Etymology [L. ethicus, Gr. sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh, prob. orig., one's own doing; sva self + dh to set: cf. F. éthique. See So, Do.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ethical”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details