'ethically-conducted' originates from the combination of 'ethical' and 'conducted', where 'ethical' is derived from the Greek word 'ethikos', meaning 'moral character', and 'conducted' is from the Latin 'conductus', meaning 'to lead or bring together'.

'ethikos' transformed into the Old English 'ethic', and 'conductus' evolved into the Middle English 'conduct', eventually forming the modern English term 'ethically-conducted'.

Initially, 'ethikos' meant 'moral character', and 'conductus' meant 'to lead', but over time, they combined to describe actions performed in a morally acceptable manner.