unethical

adjective

un·​eth·​i·​cal ˌən-ˈe-thi-kəl 

: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical

illegal and unethical business practices

immoral and unethical behavior

unethically

ˌən-ˈe-thi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of unethical

• immoral
• unlawful
• evil
• sinful
• vicious
• bad
• vile
• dark

Examples of unethical in a Sentence

unethical treatment of prisoners of war that was a clear violation of international law

an unethical attorney, he had no qualms about getting off clients who he knew were guilty

Recent Examples on the Web

His family’s entrepreneurial journey and personal experiences with unethical SEO practices inspired him and fueled his commitment to ethical link-building. —Maria Williams, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

In another nod to Scream, Cheri Oteri parodies Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers as the comically unethical news anchor Gail Hailstorm. —Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025

Another 158 investigations involved allegations of physical assault, drug use or discriminatory comments, among other unethical behavior. —Danielle Duclos, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Krista Bokhari addressed the controversy in a long Facebook post in May accusing the city of unethical behavior in its handling of the situation. —Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unethical

• ethical