adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈɛθɪkəl/
[ˈɛθɪkəl] ~ [ˈɛθɪkl̩]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪkəl
CMU ARPABET:EH1 TH IH0 K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to the study of ethics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
Examples
The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
All employees must familiarize themselves with our ethical guidelines.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Morally approvable; good.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: comparable
Examples
We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An ethical drug, one only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
conforming to accepted standards of social or professional behavior- Omar N. Bradley
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
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
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unethical
7
adjective
Meaning 7
of or relating to the philosophical study of ethics
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
ethical codes
ethical theories
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
adhering to ethical and moral principles
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
it seems ethical and right
followed the only honorable course of action
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: honorable, honourable
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From ethic + -al, from Late Latin ethicus (“moral, ethical”), from Ancient Greek ἠθικός (ēthikós, “of or for morals, moral, expressing character”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, moral nature”).
Across languages
Translations
97 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
etiek
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Albanian:
etik
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Arabic:
أَخْلَاقِيّ
(ʔaḵlāqiyy)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Armenian:
բարոյագիտական
(baroyagitakan)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Azerbaijani:
əxlaqi
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Belarusian:
эты́чны
(etýčny)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Bengali:
নৈতিক
(nōitik)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Bulgarian:
ети́чен
(etíčen)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Catalan:
ètic
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Chinese Mandarin:
道德的
(dàodé de)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Czech:
etický
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Danish:
etisk
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Dutch:
ethisch
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Estonian:
eetiline
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Finnish:
eettinen
— of or relating to the study of ethics
French:
éthique
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Galician:
ético
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Georgian:
ეთიკური
(etiḳuri)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
German:
ethisch
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Greek:
ηθικός
(ithikós)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Hebrew:
מוּסָרִי
(musarí)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Hindi:
नैतिक
(naitik)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Hungarian:
etikai
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Irish:
eiticiúil
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Italian:
etico
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Japanese:
倫理的な
(rinriteki na)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Kazakh:
этикалық
(étikalyq)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Kazakh:
ақылақтық
(aqylaqtyq)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Korean:
윤리적
(yullijeok)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Korean:
륜리적
(ryullijeok)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Kyrgyz:
этикалык
(etikalık)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Kyrgyz:
этика-га
(etika-ga)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Latvian:
ētisks
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Lithuanian:
etinis
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Macedonian:
етички
(etički)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Norwegian Bokmål:
etisk
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Norwegian Nynorsk:
etisk
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Pashto:
اخلاقي
(axlāqi)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Persian:
اخلاقی
(axlâqi)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Polish:
etyczny
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Portuguese:
ético
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Romanian:
etic
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Russian:
эти́ческий
(etíčeskij)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Serbo-Croatian:
ѐтичкӣ
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Serbo-Croatian:
ètičkī
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Slovak:
etický
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Slovene:
etičen
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Spanish:
ético
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Swedish:
etisk
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Tajik:
ахлоқӣ
(axloqi)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Turkish:
etik
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Turkish:
töre bilimsel
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Turkmen:
ahlakly
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Ukrainian:
ети́чний
(etýčnyj)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Urdu:
اَخْلاقی
(axlāqī)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Uyghur:
ئەخلاقلىق
(exlaqliq)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Uyghur:
ئەخلاقىي
(exlaqiy)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Uzbek:
etikaga
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Uzbek:
axloqiy
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Yiddish:
עטיש
(etish)
— of or relating to the study of ethics
Armenian:
բարոյական
(baroyakan)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Danish:
etisk
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Galician:
ético
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Hebrew:
אֶתִי
(éti)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Hebrew:
מוּסָרִי
(musarí)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Hindi:
शोभनीय
(śobhnīya)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Italian:
etico
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Italian:
morale
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Latvian:
ētisks
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Norwegian Bokmål:
etisk
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Norwegian Nynorsk:
etisk
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Polish:
etyczny
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Portuguese:
ético
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Russian:
эти́ческий
(etíčeskij)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Spanish:
ético
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Turkish:
etik
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Yiddish:
עטיש
(etish)
— of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession
Armenian:
բարոյական
(baroyakan)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Bulgarian:
ети́чен
(etíčen)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Catalan:
ètic
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Danish:
etisk
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Danish:
moralsk rigtig
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Galician:
ético
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Hindi:
नैतिक
(naitik)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Italian:
etico
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Japanese:
倫理的な
(rinriteki na)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Latvian:
ētisks
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Māori:
matatika
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Norwegian Bokmål:
etisk
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Norwegian Nynorsk:
etisk
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Plautdietsch:
sitlich
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Polish:
etyczny
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Portuguese:
ético
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Russian:
эти́чный
(etíčnyj)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Spanish:
ético
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Yiddish:
עטיש
(etish)
— morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good
Italian:
consentito
— only dispensed on the prescription of a physician
