Meaning & use
ethical
Relating to or conforming to accepted standards of moral behavior and right conduct.
See it in a sentence
The board debated whether the investment was ethical, given the company's labor practices.
Doctors follow strict ethical guidelines when deciding how to treat patients.
A note on using this word
Ethical often refers to professional or systematic standards of conduct, while 'moral' more broadly covers personal notions of right and wrong.
Words with a similar meaning
moralprincipled
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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