code of honor

The implicit or systematic regulations and rules governing the honorable conduct of members within a particular group. The samurai of Japan are legendary for their incorruptible code of honor that guided their every action and decision. Movies like to portray thieves and gangsters as having some kind of unspoken code of honor, but anyone who's dealt with such people in the real world knows that's a load of nonsense. Senator, this scandal definitely violates the code of honor that you supposedly adhere to in Washington.