ethical

noun

An ethical drug, one only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.

adjective

(not comparable) Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession.

(comparable) Morally approvable; good.

(philosophy, not comparable) Of or relating to the study of ethics.

(of a drug, not comparable) Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.

Roots

ethoseth- · Greek · character, custom

Synonyms for ethical

moraladj moralisticadj principledadj honorableadj conscientiousadj ethologicaladj virtuousadj

Synonyms & related words for ethical

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of ethical — including moral, moralistic, principled, honorable, conscientious, ethological. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to ethical

Explore words related to ethical — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include nonethical, ethicize, ethics, ethically, eudemonism, bioethical, deontology, moralities. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for ethical

Common synonyms for ethical include moral, moralistic, principled, honorable, conscientious, ethological, virtuous — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does ethical come from?

The word ethical breaks down into one root of Greek origin: the root eth-, from Greek ethos (“character, custom”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.