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ethic - 4 dictionary results
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eth⋅ic

  [eth-ik]
Use ethic in a Sentence
–noun
1. the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group: the Christian ethic; the tribal ethic of the Zuni.
2. a complex of moral precepts held or rules of conduct followed by an individual: a personal ethic.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME ethic, etic < L ēthicus < Gk ēthikós, equiv. to êth(os) ethos + -ikos -ic

eth⋅ics

  [eth-iks]
–plural noun
1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
4. (usually used with a singular verb) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Origin:
1400–50; late ME ethic + -s 3 , modeled on Gk tà ēthiká, neut. pl.

Synonyms:
2. See moral.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ethic
eth·ic   (ěth'ĭk)   
n.  
    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; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Ethic

Eth"ic\, Ethical \Eth"ic*al\, a. [L. ethicus, Gr. ?, fr. ? custom, usage, character, dwelling; akin to ? custom, Goth. sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh?, prob. orig., one's own doing; sva self + dh? to set: cf. F. ['e]thique. See So, Do.] Of, or belonging to, morals; treating of the moral feelings or duties; containing percepts of morality; moral; as, ethic discourses or epistles; an ethical system; ethical philosophy.

The ethical meaning of the miracles. --Trench.

Ethical dative (Gram.), a use of the dative of a pronoun to signify that the person or thing spoken of is regarded with interest by some one; as, Quid mihi Celsus agit? How does my friend Celsus do?
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Ethical or Irresponsible?
 Getting Fertility Treatment Just To Have Multiple Babies. Any Thoughts?
 www.ResponsibilityProject.com
Business Ethics
 Make Decisions, Resolve Conflicts, Build Teams. Management Solutions
 www.business.com