Ethics Vocabulary

noun a person who assists or supports someone in a wrongful act

verb to assist or support someone in a wrongful act

• The suspect was charged with aiding and abetting the criminal organization.
• I can't believe he would aid and abet in such a serious crime.
• Don't be a fool and aid and abet in their shady dealings.
• His silence only served to aid and abet the spread of false rumors.

adjective able to be justified or forgiven; pardonable

• Although his behavior was not ideal, it was excusable given the circumstances.
• I know you're upset, but his lateness is excusable this time.
• It's totally excusable that you forgot to bring your homework.
• Her actions were excusable in the eyes of the law.

adjective excessive in price or amount; exorbitant

• The price of the new luxury car was extortionate compared to similar models on the market.
• I can't believe how extortionate the prices are at that fancy restaurant.
• The cost of those sneakers is totally extortionate, I could never afford them.
• His demands for a raise were so extortionate, it felt like he was holding my paycheck hostage.

adjective relating to the administration of justice or the legal system

• The juridical system plays a crucial role in upholding justice and enforcing laws.
• I don't really understand all the juridical jargon in this legal document.
• I heard the juridical process can be a real headache to deal with.
• In the court of public opinion, his reputation was on trial, facing its own juridical scrutiny.

noun failure to act when there is a duty to do so

• The court found the defendant guilty of nonfeasance for failing to fulfill their legal obligations.
• He got in trouble for nonfeasance because he didn't do what he was supposed to.
• She's always getting away with nonfeasance, it's not fair.
• His nonfeasance in the project caused it to fail miserably.

adjective not causing objection or disapproval; acceptable

• The committee agreed that the proposal was unobjectionable and should be implemented.
• I find her choice of music to be unobjectionable, but others may disagree.
• His outfit was totally unobjectionable, he looked pretty cool.
• The artist's work was so unobjectionable that it left everyone in awe.

noun the quality or state of being unreasonable

• The court ruled against the plaintiff due to the unreasonableness of their demands.
• I can't believe the unreasonableness of their offer, it's ridiculous!
• Their unreasonableness is off the charts, they need to chill out.
• The unreasonableness of her expectations was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

adjective not able to be justified or authorized; unjustifiable

• The judge ruled that the search conducted by the police was unwarrantable.
• I can't believe they searched his car without a reason, that's just unwarrantable.
• It's totally unwarrantable for them to just barge in like that.
• Her unwarrantable intrusion into my personal life crossed a line.

noun a person who maintains or upholds something

• The judge is seen as the upholder of justice in the courtroom.
• My dad is the upholder of our family traditions.
• She's the upholder of all things cool in our friend group.
• The lighthouse serves as the upholder of safety for ships at sea.

adverb in a way that shows deliberate intent or knowledge

• The defendant wittingly committed perjury during the court proceedings.
• She wittingly ignored the warning signs and ended up getting lost in the forest.
• I can't believe he wittingly walked into that trap set by his ex-girlfriend.
• By wittingly accepting the challenge, she proved her determination to succeed against all odds.

noun the act of excavating or uncovering information related to past offenses

• The study of ancient laws and legal systems through offence archaeology provides valuable insights into past societies.
• Offence archaeology helps us understand how ancient cultures dealt with crime and punishment.
• Digging into the past with offence archaeology can uncover some juicy details about ancient wrongdoings.
• Exploring the depths of history with offence archaeology is like solving a mystery from the past.

noun an evil deed; a crime or wrongdoing

• The accused was charged with multiple counts of malefaction in the court.
• I heard he was involved in some malefaction, but I don't have all the details.
• Don't get caught up in that malefaction, it's not worth it.
• His lies and deceit were a form of malefaction against his friends.

adjective showing complicity; being an accomplice or involved in wrongdoing

• The complicitous behavior of the employees contributed to the company's legal troubles.
• She was complicitous in the scheme to cheat on the exam.
• They were totally complicitous in the prank that got pulled on the teacher.
• The dark clouds looming overhead seemed complicitous in the impending storm.

noun a person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behavior

adjective made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, typically as a copy of something natural

• The development of an artificial conscience raises ethical questions about the role of machines in decision-making.
• I wonder if one day we'll have artificial consciences in our robots.
• Dude, imagine a robot with a fake conscience trying to act all moral and stuff.
• Her actions were so calculated, it was as if she had an artificial conscience guiding her every move.

adjective not permitted or allowed; prohibited

• Engaging in insider trading is impermissible and can result in severe legal consequences.
• You can't cheat on the exam, it's impermissible!
• Dude, that's totally not cool, it's impermissible.
• Breaking her trust would be impermissible, like shattering fragile glass.

noun a person who compromises their principles or values for personal gain, especially in intellectual or academic pursuits

• The academic community strongly condemns any individual who acts as an intellectual prostitute by selling their expertise for personal gain.
• I can't believe she's willing to be an intellectual prostitute just to get ahead in her career.
• He's such an intellectual prostitute, always spewing out whatever opinion will get him the most attention.
• Selling out your principles for money is the ultimate act of being an intellectual prostitute.

adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, indicating manner, time, place, or degree

• The evidence presented in court was accusably strong, leading to a swift conviction.
• She was accusably late to the meeting, causing everyone to wait for her.
• He was accusably shady about his whereabouts last night.
• The dark clouds accusably hovered over the city, foreshadowing a storm.