Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
ethical (adjective)1.
of or relating to - ethics ethical theories
2.
involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval - ethical judgments
3.
conforming to accepted standards of conduct - ethical behavior
4.
of a drug restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription moral
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
ethical (adjective)1.
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
SYNONYMS:
all right, decent, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, nice, right, righteous, right-minded, straight, true, upright, virtuousRELATED WORDS:
correct, decorous, proper, seemly; high-minded, noble, principled; commendable, creditable, exemplary, legitimate; esteemed, law-abiding, menschy, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthy; blameless, clean, guiltless, immaculate, incorrupt ( incorrupted), incorruptible, innocent, inoffensive, irreproachable, unobjectionable; angelic ( angelical), lily-white, pure, scrupulous, spotless, uncorrupted, unerring; goody-goody, moralistic, pharisaical, rectitudinous, sanctimonious, self-righteousNEAR ANTONYMS:
improper, incorrect, indecorous, naughty, unbecoming, unseemly; corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, libertine, perverted, reprobate; unprincipled, unscrupulous; atrocious, infamous, villainous; base, low, mean, vicious, vile; blameworthy, objectionable, offensive; iniquitous, nefarious; errant, erring, fallen2.
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
SYNONYMS:
decent, ethical, honest, just, noble, principled, respectable, righteous, stand-up, upright, upstandingRELATED WORDS:
blameless, guiltless, irreproachable, unassailable, unimpeachable; chivalrous, classy, high-minded, menschy, right-minded; conscientious, fair, good, incorruptible, moral, reputable, respected, scrupulous, uncorrupted, virtuous; decorous, nice, polite, proper, seemlyNEAR ANTONYMS:
bad, blackguardly, corrupt, criminal, crooked, evil, immoral, iniquitous, knavish, mean, nefarious, rascally, reprehensible, roguish, rotten, scoundrelly, sinful; unfair, unscrupulous, vile, villainous, wicked, wretched; blamable, blameworthy, censurable, culpable; debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, depraved, disgraceful, disreputable, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, profligate, reprobate, shameful, venal3.
guided by or in accordance with one's sense of right and wrong
SYNONYMS:
conscionable, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, principled, scrupulousRELATED WORDS:
decent, good, righteous, right-minded, straight, upright, virtuous; dutiful, observant, respectful; overconscientious; reliable, responsible, solid, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty; esteemed, law-abiding, reputable, respected, upstanding, worthyNEAR ANTONYMS:
bad, black, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, unrighteous, wicked; unreliable, untrustworthy; corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, perverted, reprobate; atrocious, infamous, villainous; base, low, mean, vicious, vile; iniquitous, nefariousEthical (Wikipedia)
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior". The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns matters of value; these fields comprise the branch of philosophy called axiology.
Ethics seeks to resolve questions of human morality by defining concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime. As a field of intellectual inquiry, moral philosophy is related to the fields of moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory.
Three major areas of study within ethics recognized today are:
- Meta-ethics, concerning the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions, and how their truth values (if any) can be determined;
- Normative ethics, concerning the practical means of determining a moral course of action;
- Applied ethics, concerning what a person is obligated (or permitted) to do in a specific situation or a particular domain of action.