Definition of "ethic" []

• A set of principles of right conduct. (noun)
• A theory or a system of moral values: "An ethic of service is at war with a craving for gain” ( Gregg Easterbrook). (noun)
• The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy. (noun)
• The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession: medical ethics. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But our department chair has this list of criteria for appropriate feedback, which she calls our ethic of conversation."
• "In addition to being a repository for textbooks covering a wide range of subjects and educational levels, its ethic is taken from the digital music world, he said — rip, burn and mash."
• "But most important, Bruschi wants to make sure the club's team-first work ethic is embraced by those who follow in his footsteps."