It is not ethical for a doctor to reveal confidences.
Source: tatoeba (28111)
Ethical
/ˈɛθɪkəl/
Synonyms for "ethical" (210 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (42)
Adjective(11 words)
honorableappropriateclean handscleanliestconduct-relatedconscience-basedconscientiousconscious decisioncorrect descriptordigital messaging safetyeffective leadership
Noun(12 words)
academic ethicsacademic integrityanimal testing welfareanimal-welfarecentral principlecharacter-buildingchivalric ordercomportingconfuciandeepfakeethrilfundraising
Strong matches (63)
goodhigh principledhigh-mindedhigh-principledhighly respectablehonesthonorableimmaculateinviolateirreproachablejustlaw abidinglaw-abidinglaw-lovinglaw-reveringmanlymoral
Adjective(28 words)
good justificationgood peopleguiding abilitieshedonistichippocratichonest conducthonourablehuman deedshumanehumanerhumanisticimmoral chemical experimentationincorruptibleinterpersonal tacticmoralmoral choicemoral frameworkmoral groundingsmoral human beingmoral ideal
Show 8 more words
moral improvementmoral judgmentmoral mattersmoral qualitiesmoral reasoningmoral responsibilitymoral rulemoral stance
Noun(18 words)
healthcare practicehuman actionshuman conducthuman rightmoral beingmoral codemoral deliberationmoral groundingmoral groundsmoral integritymoral lessonmoral motivemoral normmoral normsmoral obligationmoral principlemoral qualitymoral sentiment
Related words (105)
Adjective(32 words)
moral statusmoral traitmoral valuesnormative termobligatory provisionoral history practicepersonal codepersonal ethicspersuasive speakingportuguese nobreprincipledprincipled actionprofessionalprofessional jargonproperpure solventreputable institutionreputable publisherresponsiblerighter
Show 12 more words
savoriestsocial responsibilitystoic ethicstrustworthyunabuseduprightupright fontupright postureupright typevalues oriented approachvirtuous soulwholesome
Noun(28 words)
moral theorymoral valuemoral worldlinessmorally uprightmore spiritualmore uprightmost roman citizenlynatural lawnormative jurisprudencepet care syllabus guideprofessional conductpublic persuasionrectasocial responsibility lessonsocial virtue curriculumstay uprightstewardingstoicthe right thingupright conduct
Show 8 more words
upright cueupright positionupright stanceuprightsutilitarianutilitarian designvalues driven frameworkvegetarian
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: honorable, academic ethics, academic integrity, animal testing welfare, animal-welfare.
- Sentence evidence is available for ethical, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ethical".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ethical"
Keep "ethical" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ethical" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ethical", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ethical" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
8 entriesethical codeethical conductethical guidelineethical policyethical practiceethical principleethics auditethics compliance
Collocations
6 entriesethical conductethical dilemmaethical guidelinesethical issueethical principlesethical standards
Inflections
2 entriesmore ethicalmost ethical
Derivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
15 total sentences available.
In ethical terms, a great many people are opposed to gene therapy.
Source: tatoeba (325923)
That's right. It's written in an unassuming fashion, and it's an ethical standpoint as well.
Source: tatoeba (327074)
From an ethical point of view, the great principle of technology is "responsibility to the present" but the new way of thinking, "responsibility to the future" has emerged.
Source: tatoeba (328056)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ethical"?
Closest matches include honorable, academic ethics, academic integrity, animal testing welfare, animal-welfare.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ethical"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.