ethical


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Related to ethical: Ethical issues

eth·i·cal

 (ĕth′ĭ-kəl)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or dealing with ethics: an ethical treatise.
2. Being in accordance with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a profession: an ethical act. See Synonyms at moral.
3. Relating to or being a drug dispensed solely on the prescription of a physician.

eth′i·cal·ly adv.
eth′i·cal·ness, eth′i·cal′i·ty (-kăl′ĭ-tē) n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ethical

(ˈɛθɪkəl)
adj
1. in accordance with principles of conduct that are considered correct, esp those of a given profession or group
2. (Philosophy) of or relating to ethics
3. (Medicine) (of a medicinal agent) available legally only with a doctor's prescription or consent
ˈethically adv
ˈethicalness, ˌethiˈcality n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

eth•i•cal

(ˈɛθ ɪ kəl)

adj.
1. pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to ethics.
2. being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice, esp. the standards of a profession.
3. (of drugs) sold only upon prescription.
[1600–10]
eth′i•cal•ly, adv.
eth′i•cal•ness, eth`i•cal′i•ty, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

ethic

ethicsethical
1. 'ethic'

A particular ethic is an idea or moral belief that influences the behaviour and attitudes of a group of people.

...the ethic of public service.
...the Protestant work ethic.
2. 'ethics'

Ethics are moral beliefs and rules about right and wrong. When you use ethics with this meaning, it is a plural noun. You use a plural form of a verb with it.

Such action was a violation of medical ethics.

Ethics is also the study of questions about what is morally right or wrong. When ethics has this meaning, it is an uncount noun. You use a singular form of a verb with it.

We are only too ready to believe that ethics is a field where thinking does no good.
3. 'ethical'

Ethic is never an adjective. The adjective that means 'relating to ethics' is ethical.

...an ethical problem.
He had no real ethical objection to drinking.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.ethical - of or relating to the philosophical study of ethics; "ethical codes"; "ethical theories"
2.ethical - conforming to accepted standards of social or professional behavior; "an ethical lawyer"; "ethical medical practice"; "an ethical problem"; "had no ethical objection to drinking"; "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants"- Omar N. Bradley
right - in conformance with justice or law or morality; "do the right thing and confess"
unethical - not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior; "unethical business practices"
3.ethical - adhering to ethical and moral principles; "it seems ethical and right"; "followed the only honorable course of action"
right - in conformance with justice or law or morality; "do the right thing and confess"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

ethical

adjective
1. moral, behavioural the ethical dilemmas of genetic engineering
2. right, morally right, morally acceptable, good, just, fitting, fair, responsible, principled, correct, decent, proper, upright, honourable, honest, righteous, virtuous Would it be ethical to lie to save a person's life?
right unfair, indecent, improper, immoral, unscrupulous, low-down (informal), unethical, unseemly, disreputable, underhand, dishonourable, not cricket (informal)
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ethical

adjective
In accordance with principles of right or good conduct:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
أخْلاقيأَخْلَاقيّغَيْر أخْلاقي
etický
etiskmoralsk
eettinen
etički
etikaietikus
siîferîilegur, siîlegursiîfræîilegur
倫理的な
윤리적인
etisk
ตามหลักจริยธรรม
ahlâka uygunahlakiahlâkîahlâkla ilgili
có đạo đức

ethical

[ˈeθɪkəl] ADJético; (= honourable) → honrado
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ethical

[ˈɛθɪkəl] adj
(= moral) [aspects, considerations] → moral(e)
(= morally acceptable) → éthique
ethical investment → placements mpl éthiques
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ethical

adj
(= morally right)ethisch attr; (of ethics)Moral-; ethical philosophyMoralphilosophie f; ethical valuesmoralische Werte pl; it is not ethical to …es ist unethisch or unmoralisch, zu …; ethical behaviour (Brit) or behavior (US) → ethisch einwandfreies Verhalten
(= available only on prescription) medicine etcverschreibungspflichtig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ethical

[ˈɛθɪkl] adjetico/a, morale
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ethics

(ˈeθiks) noun singular
the study or the science of morals.
noun plural
rules or principles of behaviour.
ˈethical adjective
1. of or concerning morals, justice or duty.
2. (negative unethical) morally right.
ˈethically adverb
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

ethical

أَخْلَاقيّ etický etisk ethisch ηθικός ético eettinen éthique etički etico 倫理的な 윤리적인 ethisch etisk etyczny ético этический etisk ตามหลักจริยธรรม ahlaki có đạo đức 民族的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

ethical

adj ético
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
Polygnotus delineates character well: the style of Zeuxis is devoid of ethical quality.
But the master gave his fellow countrymen an ethical system based upon sound common sense, and a deep knowledge of their customs and characteristics.
Also, my comrades used jestingly (yes, I know only jestingly) to propound the ethical maxim that a man ought never to let himself become a burden upon anyone.
A wet day was the expression of irremediable grief at her weakness in the mind of some vague ethical being whom she could not class definitely as the God of her childhood, and could not comprehend as any other.
1932--their mistakes and ignorance, their doubts and fears and misapprehensions, their ethical delusions, their violent passions, their inconceivable sordidness and selfishness.
We should say that the author's special ethical gift lay in a delicately intuitive sympathy, not, perhaps, with all phases of character, but certainly with the very varied class of persons represented in these volumes.
He was intensely moved by the grandeur of the struggle for life, and the ethical rule which it suggested seemed to fit in with his predispositions.
The problem is that regarding man as a subject of observation from whatever point of view- theological, historical, ethical, or philosophic- we find a general law of necessity to which he (like all that exists) is subject.
And some people said that Madame Stahl had made her social position as a philanthropic, highly religious woman; other people said she really was at heart the highly ethical being, living for nothing but the good of her fellow creatures, which she represented herself to be.
And my view of the episode was purely ethical. If any one had to be the death of the Steward I didn't see why it shouldn't be Captain Giles himself, a man of age and standing, and a permanent resident.
If you were an economist I should condemn you for confusing economic with ethical considerations, and for your uncertainty as to the function which my father got his start by performing.
The worst of the literature of past times, before an ethical conscience began to inform it, or the advance of the race compelled it to decency, is that it leaves the mind foul with filthy images and base thoughts; but what I have been trying to say is that the boy, unless he is exceptionally depraved beforehand, is saved from these through his ignorance.