1relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these:ethical issues in nursingethical standards
morally good or correct:can a profitable business ever be ethical?
avoiding activities or organizations that do harm to people or the environment:an expert on ethical investmentswitching to more ethical productsadopt ethical shopping habitsethical holidays
2 [attributive] (of a medicine) legally available only on a doctor’s prescription and usually not advertised to the general public:all types of drugs, including ethical drugs and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
