ethos
noun/ˈiːθɒs/
/ˈiːθɑːs/
[singular] (formal)- the moral ideas and attitudes that belong to a particular group, society or person
- an ethos of public service
- the carefree Californian ethos
- Teaching was central to his ethos.
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesc1- Investing in arms companies is strongly against the group's ethos.
- The prevailing ethos of the teachers was that of strict discipline.
Word Originmid 19th cent.: from modern Latin, from Greek ēthos ‘nature, disposition’, (plural) ‘customs’.Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
ethos