as in immoral
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
an unprincipled businessman who made a lot of money—and didn't care how he did it
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Recent Examples of unprincipled
Antoni is that rarity who has drawn harsh criticism from economists on the right as well as the mainstream for being ignorant, unprincipled, and incompetent.
—
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
She is utterly disillusioned with the ugly transformations of leftist leaders, such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia, into unprincipled strongmen.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Parrilla has the more complex role; Bruiser is unprincipled and lacking in shame, yet generally correct and fair.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
The deficient vice of integrity is being fake, untruthful, inconsistent, unprincipled, and manipulative.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unprincipled
Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
She is utterly disillusioned with the ugly transformations of leftist leaders, such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia, into unprincipled strongmen.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Parrilla has the more complex role; Bruiser is unprincipled and lacking in shame, yet generally correct and fair.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
The deficient vice of integrity is being fake, untruthful, inconsistent, unprincipled, and manipulative.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unprincipled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unprincipled
Adjective
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So when it is already known that ICE actually carries out unlawful violations of the Constitution as per state and federal court rulings, government employees are being set up to be intimidated to serve as accomplices to unlawful, not to mention immoral, behavior.—
Tony Lux,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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The annual analysis compares all 50 states across 54 measures tied to immoral or illicit behavior, from violent crimes per capita and excessive drinking to gambling disorders.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Lydia, naturally, has her own reasons for pairing Agnes and Daisy together, evolving from a ruthless zealot and disciplinarian in Handmaid’s Tale into a kind of double agent looking to overthrow Gilead from within the hallowed halls of power in Testaments, as the finale set her up to do.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
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After enduring a tough patch in business, fate changes his course, turning him into El Serpiente, a ruthless political strategist.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps more disturbing is the effect AI could have on the system if generative writing programs are used by unscrupulous parties to create phoney evidence.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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Without the courts, the country would be at the mercy of unscrupulous politicians who could act with impunity.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Do these reports offer evidence that the police and courts are corrupt?—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The corrupt and repressive Iranian regime must never have nuclear weapons.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unprincipled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unprincipled. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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