Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Ethic \Eth"ic\, Ethical \Eth"ic*al\, a. [L. ethicus, Gr. ?, fr.
? custom, usage, character, dwelling; akin to ? custom, Goth.
sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh?, prob. orig., one's own doing;
sva self + dh? to set: cf. F. ['e]thique. See {So}, {Do}.]
Of, or belonging to, morals; treating of the moral feelings
or duties; containing percepts of morality; moral; as, ethic
discourses or epistles; an ethical system; ethical
philosophy.
The ethical meaning of the miracles. --Trench.
{Ethical dative} (Gram.), a use of the dative of a pronoun to
signify that the person or thing spoken of is regarded
with interest by some one; as, Quid mihi Celsus agit? How
does my friend Celsus do?
Source : WordNet®
ethical
adj 1: of or relating to the philosophical study of ethics;
"ethical codes"; "ethical theories"
2: conforming to accepted standards of social or professional
behavior; "an ethical lawyer"; "ethical medical practice";
"an ethical problem"; "had no ethical objection to
drinking"; "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical
infants"- Omar N. Bradley [ant: {unethical}]
3: adhering to ethical and moral principles; "it seems ethical
and right"; "followed the only honorable course of
action"; "had the moral courage to stand alone" [syn: {honorable},
{honourable}, {moral}]