ethic

n.

1. 1. A set of principles of right conduct.
   2. A theory or a system of moral values: “An ethic of service is at war with a craving for gain” (Gregg Easterbrook).
2. ethics (used with a sing. verb) The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy.
3. ethics (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics.

[Middle English ethik, from Old French ethique (from Late Latin ēthica, from Greek ēthika, ethics) and from Latin ēthicē (from Greek ēthikē), both from Greek ēthikos, ethical, from ēthos, character.]

noun

1. A rule or habit of conduct with regard to right and wrong or a body of such rules and habits: ethicality, moral (used in plural), morality. See right/wrong.
2. The moral quality of a course of action. ethicality, ethicalness, morality, propriety, righteousness, rightfulness, rightness. See right/wrong.

A belief or attitude which contributes to the moral values of a society, culture, or organization.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: the principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group
  Synonyms: moral principle, value-system, value orientation

Meaning #2: a system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct
  Synonym: ethical code

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - etik, morallære
adj. - etisk, moralsk

Nederlands (Dutch)
ethiek, ethisch

Français (French)
n. - morale éthique
adj. - éthique

Deutsch (German)
n. - Ethik, Sittenlehre
adj. - ethisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ηθικός νόμος, ηθικός κώδικας
adj. - ηθικός

Italiano (Italian)
etica, etico

Português (Portuguese)
n. - ética (f)
adj. - ético

Русский (Russian)
этика, мораль

Español (Spanish)
n. - ética
adj. - ético, moral

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - etik
adj. - etisk, etik-, moral-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
道德规范, 伦理, 伦理的, 道德的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 道德規範, 倫理
adj. - 倫理的, 道德的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 윤리
adj. - 도덕상의, 윤리학적인, 인정 기준을 따른

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 道徳原理, 倫理

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) علم الأخلاق (صفه) أخلاقي, مقبول أدبيا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עקרונות-מוסר, כללי התנהגות‬
adj. - ‮לפי עקרונות המוסר, מוסרי, אתי‬

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