unethical

un·eth·i·cal | \ ˌən-ˈe-thi-kəl

How to pronounce unethical (audio)

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Definition of unethical

: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical illegal and unethical business practices immoral and unethical behavior

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Examples of unethical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There was nothing unethical or underhanded in how the reporters and photographers went about their jobs. — Dahleen Glanton, chicagotribune.com, "Column: The apologetic editorial in Northwestern’s student newspaper reveals an issue most black journalists face," 12 Nov. 2019 There is a great deal of behavior that may be immoral, unethical or sleazy — and impeachable — without violating the criminal law. — Randall D. Eliason, The Denver Post, "Guest Commentary: G-7 summit at Doral might not have been a crime, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be corrupt," 21 Oct. 2019 That’s a rationalization that could justify almost any unethical or risky decision. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Controversial Google Military AI Contract Fuels AI Regulation Debate," 30 May 2018 Fans can easily suspend their values or ethical beliefs for their home team and engage in legal, yet unethical, behavior. — Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Why do some in sports feel the need to cheat?," 18 Jan. 2020 In addition to being able to use the horrors of the weather as a cudgel to silence those who oppose Trump’s unethical policies, letting people die from climate change is cost effective. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Eco-Fascists Are Coming," 10 Dec. 2019 In one of my studies, participants asked other people for various favors ranging from the innocuous, such as to donate money to charity, to the unethical—to lie for them. — Vanessa K. Bohns, Quartz at Work, "Dating at work is a bad idea—just ask the fired CEO of McDonald’s," 4 Nov. 2019 In one of my studies, participants asked other people for various favors ranging from the innocuous, such as to donate money to charity, to the unethical – to lie for them. — Vanessa K. Bohns, The Conversation, "Yes, the research confirms: Managers shouldn’t sleep with subordinates," 1 Nov. 2019 An embryo screening test that uses a polygenic score to predict low IQ is likely to face the same limitations, says Joshi, who views such testing as unethical. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, "Screening embryos for IQ and other complex traits is premature, study concludes," 24 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unethical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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