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# ethics

noun (ethics; also ethic, ethics as a subject)

«ethics» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Ethics are the ideas about what is right and wrong that guide how people act. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#m1)
2. Ethics is a school subject or part of philosophy that thinks about right and wrong, fairness, and how to be good. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#m2)
3. (formal) The ethics of a job are its rules for honest behaviour, like a doctor keeping your secrets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#m3)

### In the lessons

In class, ethics lessons use dilemmas: should you tell on a friend who cheated? Pupils weigh consequences, rules, and kindness. Adults talk about business ethics, medical ethics and the ethics of science (for example, testing on animals). Phrases: a code of ethics, work ethic (being willing to work hard), against my ethics, the ethics of something.

### Examples

- In ethics class we argued about whether lying is ever right. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x1)
- The ethics of keeping animals in zoos is a big question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x2)
- Doctors follow a strict code of ethics. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x3)
- The ethics olympiad asked teams to solve hard dilemmas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x4)
- Gran has a strong work ethic and never misses a day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x5)
- Taking the money would be against his ethics. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x6)
- Ethics is about how we should treat each other. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/#x7)

### Note

As a subject, "ethics" takes a singular verb: "Ethics is interesting." As someone's principles, it is plural: "His ethics are strict." Adjective ethical. Not "ethnics" (about peoples and cultures).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ethics» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/ethics/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ethics» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ethics.html) on Mova free.