Meaning & use
ethic
Last updated
Meanings
nounsingular
A set of moral beliefs or values that guides how a person or group behaves.
Grammar: Usually singular, with a describing word: a strong ethic.
Patterns
- the ethic of something
The company has a strong ethic of honesty.
Their family ethic was to help neighbors.
A new ethic of sustainability is spreading.
nounsingular
A guiding principle about the right way to work or live, as in work ethic.
Grammar: Often in compounds: work ethic, service ethic.
Patterns
- a work ethic
He has an impressive work ethic.
The team's ethic is to finish what you start.
She admired the old farm's ethic of thrift.
Word forms
| plural | ethics |
|---|
Common combinations
- work ethic
- Her work ethic impressed her boss.
- professional ethic
- A professional ethic requires confidentiality.
- environmental ethic
- The school promotes an environmental ethic.
- strong ethic
- The team has a strong ethic of service.
- ethic of care
- Nursing is built on an ethic of care.
Synonyms and how they differ
- principle
- Names one specific rule of conduct, while an ethic is a broader set of guiding values.
- morality
- Refers to the general system of right and wrong, and is more abstract.
- value
- Describes something you consider important, but not necessarily a moral rule.
- code
- Suggests a written or agreed set of rules, as in a code of conduct.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ethic or ethnic?
ethic vs ethnic
Ethnic relates to a cultural or national group; ethic relates to moral principles.
Practice
Her strong work ____ meant she was always first in and last out.
Choose one answer.
Work ethic is the fixed phrase for a belief in the value of hard work. Ethnic and ethical are different parts of speech, and ethos is not used in this phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ethic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.