ethical

adjective

ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce ethical (audio)
Definition of ethicalnext
1
as in honorable
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue the ethical behavior expected of every member of the police force

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honest
following the accepted rules of moral conduct the ethical course of action for the senator who lied to Congress would be to resign

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in moral
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong ethical writers do not use the words of other writers without giving them proper credit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ethical differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ethical are moral, noble, righteous, and virtuous. While all these words mean "conforming to a standard of what is right and good," ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity.

committed to the highest ethical principles

When is moral a more appropriate choice than ethical?

The meanings of moral and ethical largely overlap; however, moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right and wrong.

the basic moral values of a community

When would noble be a good substitute for ethical?

Although the words noble and ethical have much in common, noble implies moral eminence and freedom from anything petty, mean, or dubious in conduct and character.

had the noblest of reasons for seeking office

When is it sensible to use righteous instead of ethical?

The words righteous and ethical are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, righteous stresses guiltlessness or blamelessness and often suggests the sanctimonious.

wished to be righteous before God and the world

When might virtuous be a better fit than ethical?

While the synonyms virtuous and ethical are close in meaning, virtuous implies moral excellence in character.

not a religious person, but virtuous nevertheless

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ethical Faculty members say Crisis Ready Media is meant to prepare students without pressuring them into unsafe situations, while reinforcing professional judgment and ethical responsibility. —Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026 Yet few pharmacists agree to supply these drugs, largely for ethical reasons. —Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026 However, your interest in gritty prestige crime dramas that expose the socioeconomic complexities and ethical ambiguities within the justice system? —Talia Argondezzi, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026 Respondents indicated that the ethical obligation came from staff, other investigators, or community partners who may depend on the research as a source of funding or that students may depend on the data collected for their studies. —David Seal, STAT, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ethical
  1. honorable
  2. honest
  3. moral
  4. true
  5. respectable
  6. conscientious
  7. nice
  8. good
Adjective
  • Though the art that first spoke to me was honest and honorable depictions of Black life, I have since been inspired, gutted and changed by artists from all walks of life.
    — Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson called LaMalfa an honorable public servant and recounted the two working together to deliver help for wildfire victims.
    — Steve Large, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of honorable
Adjective
  • But these songs are also honest, sometimes despite themselves, about the feelings of impotence associated with watching history play out on a screen.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
  • At least Mamdani was honest and campaigned as a socialist.
    — Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The movie is, above all, about the moral compromise and human costs that come with immigration enforcement.
    — Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of moral
Adjective
  • That’s true, even though the odds of getting hurt during travel are generally higher when driving.
    — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Exercises like Aron’s 36 questions are designed to reveal the most interesting, truest things about a person, and self‑ disclosure, trust building, and mutual appreciation accelerate closeness.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • Rice finished with a respectable 104 wRC+ and seven home runs in 106 at-bats against lefties in 2025.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Cargo space is respectable for the class, and the hatch configuration is easier to live with day-to-day than a trunk-only sedan.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of respectable
Adjective
  • Those places were unregulated, untaxed and, typically, not particularly conscientious about checking ID.
    — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Many states are new enacting or widening already broad religious and conscientious exemptions.
    — Richard Hughes IV, STAT, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of conscientious
Adjective
  • The potluck is chaotic but really nice.
    — R29 Team, Refinery29, 11 Feb. 2026
  • And if there is a next step, that would be nice.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of nice
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, makeup artists think spring breakers will pack their best cushion-y, cloud lips instead of their icy alternatives.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Kansas City figured its best sales pitch centered on its facilities and its location in the heart of America.
    — Sam McDowell Updated February 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of good

Browse Nearby Words

ethic
ethical
ethically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ethical. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ethical

Nglish: Translation of ethical for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

'Buck naked' or 'butt naked'?

What does 'etcetera' mean?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?

Why Is the Letter ‘Z’ Associated With Sleeping?

The Words of the Week - Feb. 13

Why do we call it 'ides of March'?
See More

Popular

See More

More Words You Always Have to Look Up

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Did Orange the Fruit or the Color Come First?
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All