ethical practices
Morally sound behavior
Ethical practices are behaviors and procedures that align with moral principles—honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for others.
The phrase appears most often in professional and institutional contexts: The company prides itself on ethical practices in sourcing materials.
Business ethics, medical ethics, and research ethics all establish standards for ethical practices within their domains.
What counts as ethical varies by field and culture, but the term implies conduct that goes beyond mere legal compliance to consider broader impacts on people and communities.
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- transparencyState of being see-through
- honestyTruthfulness, sincerity
- do the right thingBehave with moral integrity
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
fair treatment · integrity · justice · level playing field · trustworthiness · walk the talk · sustainability · responsibility · human rights · whistleblower protection · conscience · confidentiality · impartiality · compliance · best practices · duty of care · equality · stewardship
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
ethical practicesunethical practices
Morally wrong professional behavior
corrupt practices · corruption · malfeasance · misconduct · malpractice
ethical practicescriminal conduct
Legally prohibited actions
lawbreaking · bribery · noncompliance · illicit activities · white-collar crime
ethical practicesexploitation
Selfish use of others
worker exploitation · predatory practices · price gouging · wage theft · consumer fraud