Ethical vs Responsible - What's the difference?
ethical | responsible |
(philosophy, not comparable) Of or relating to the study of ethics.
(not comparable) Of or relating to the accepted principles of right and wrong, especially those of some organization or profession.
(comparable) Morally approvable, when referring to an action that affects others; good.
(of a drug, not comparable) Only dispensed on the prescription of a physician.
Answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03
, author=William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter
, title=The British Longitude Act Reconsidered
, volume=100, issue=2, page=87
, magazine=
Capable of responding to any reasonable claim; able to answer reasonably for one's conduct and obligations; capable of rational conduct.
Involving responsibility; involving a degree of personal accountability on the part of the person concerned.
Being a primary cause or agent of some event or action; capable of being credited for something, or of being held liable for something.
Able to be trusted; reliable; trustworthy.
As adjectives the difference between ethical and responsible
is that ethical is (philosophy|not comparable) of or relating to the study of ethics while responsible is answerable for an act performed or for its consequences; accountable; amenable, especially legally or politically.As a noun ethical
is an ethical drug.ethical
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The philosopher Kant is particularly known for his ethical writings.
- All employees must familiarize themselves with our ethical guidelines.
- We are trying to decide what the most ethical course of action would be.
- In most jurisdictions, morphine is classified as an ethical drug.
Usage notes
* In general usage ethical'' is used to describe standards of behavior between individuals, while ''moral'' or ''immoral can describe any behavior. You can call lying unethical or immoral, for example, because it involves the behavior of one person and how it affects another, but violating dietary prohibitions in a holy text can only be described as immoral.Derived terms
* ethical investment * ethical system * meta-ethical * (morally approvable) unethicalSee also
* ethical dativeExternal links
* * *Anagrams
*responsible
English
Adjective
(en adjective)citation, passage=But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.}}
- Parents are responsible for their child's behaviour.
- She has a responsible position in the firm.
- Who is responsible for this mess?
- He looks like a responsible guy.
