plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group
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Ethics vs Morals: Is there a difference?
Ethics and morals are both used in the plural and are often regarded as synonyms, but there is some distinction in how they are used.
Morals often describes one's particular values concerning what is right and what is wrong:
It would go against my morals to help you cheat on the test.
He appears to view himself as a kind of culture warrior, striking out against the crumbling morals of modern society.
Jonathan Goldsbie, Now Toronto, 16 Oct. 2014
While ethics can refer broadly to moral principles, one often sees it applied to questions of correct behavior within a relatively narrow area of activity:
Our class had a debate over the ethics of genetic testing.
Anybody, it seemed, could make the music -- if they couldn't play guitar, they could push a button -- and nobody worried about the ethics of appropriating riffs.
Jennifer Foote, Newsweek, 23 July 1990
In addition, morals usually connotes an element of subjective preference, while ethics tends to suggest aspects of universal fairness and the question of whether or not an action is responsible:
Perhaps you don’t like Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals don’t align with yours, or you just think it’s weird that she might have had some plastic surgery, likes to apply makeup in a really complicated way and named her kid “Saint.”
Sarah Boboltz, The Huffington Post, 12 Oct. 2016The Frenches, both professors in The Media School, focused on the ethics of making medical decisions for a child who could not express her own wishes yet…
Chris Mura, Indiana Daily Student, 18 Oct. 2016
Examples of ethic in a Sentence
Kyle Khan-Mullins, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
The wreck was too deep, the rewards too uncertain, the ethics unclear.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Trump’s proposals have reignited debates around legality, ethics, and the potential societal impacts of such an expansive crackdown.
—Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024
The county’s plan for creating a new ethics enforcement agency could cost nearly $22 million per year and add as many as 93 new public employees, according to a new report.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ethic 
Dictionary Entries Near ethic
Cite this Entry
“Ethic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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