ethically
Meaning
in a way that relates to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these
in a way that is morally right or acceptable
Structure
Usage
the company pledged to source its materials ethically.
the researcher was commended for conducting the study ethically.
it is difficult to decide ethically what the best course of action is.
Etymology
the word 'ethically' is built upon the core concept of 'ethos', an ancient greek term denoting character, custom, or habitual dwelling place. this foundational idea of ingrained character and societal norms was formalized into the philosophical domain of ethics, the study of moral principles. the latin adjectival suffix '-ālis' was attached to create 'ethical', meaning 'pertaining to morals'. finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' was appended, transforming the adjective into an adverb that describes the manner of an action performed in accordance with moral principles. thus, the term traces a journey from a concrete notion of custom to an abstract system of morality, and finally to a modifier describing action consistent with that system.
Analysis
ethic: from latin ethicus, from greek ēthikos (moral, relating to character), from ēthos (character, custom). ally: from latin -ālis (adjectival suffix) via old french, combined with -ly (adverbial suffix from old english -līċe).