Meaning & use
ethos
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Meaning
noununcountable
The character, values, and beliefs that give a group, organization, or culture its particular spirit.
Grammar: Usually singular and uncountable; often with of: the ethos of the school. It has no plural.
Patterns
- the ethos of something
- a strong ethos
- a work ethos
The school has an ethos of kindness and hard work.
Many startups promote an ethos of risk-taking and openness.
The novel captures the ethos of small-town America in the 1950s.
Common combinations
- the ethos of the school
- Uniforms play a small part in the ethos of the school.
- a strong work ethos
- The founder built the company around a strong work ethos.
- a caring ethos
- The hospital is known for its caring ethos toward patients.
- corporate ethos
- The corporate ethos changed completely after the merger.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: ethos or ethic? ethos or ethics?
ethos vs ethic
An ethic is a single moral principle or set of personal beliefs; an ethos is the overall spirit of a group.
ethos vs ethics
Ethics are explicit moral rules, while an ethos is the felt character of a group, shown in how it acts.
Practice
The company is proud of its ___ of always putting customers first.
Choose one answer.
Ethos means the guiding spirit or values of a group, which fits. An ethic is a single moral principle, ethnic is an adjective about cultural origin, and ethics are rules of conduct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ethos”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.