ethics
n. C / Un. a set of rules or beliefs about what is right and wrong. It helps guide how people behave and make choices in difficult situations.
n. the moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity; it also designates the branch of philosophy concerned with morality.
The doctor's ethics prevented him from sharing the patient's secret.
The company hired a consultant to review its business ethics and ensure all employees were treated fairly.
Advances in artificial intelligence have raised profound questions regarding the ethics of automated decision-making, particularly when algorithms determine access to housing or medical care.
From Middle English etik, from Middle French ethique, from Late Latin ethica, from Ancient Greek ἠθική (ēthikḗ), from ἠθικός (ēthikós, “of or for morals, moral, expressing character”), from ἦθος (êthos, “character, moral nature”).
Takes a singular verb when referring to the branch of philosophy, but a plural verb when referring to a specific set of moral principles.