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

Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations. —David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

Eyal argues that there is nothing unethical about making a product that some people get addicted to, and asking social media companies to make their products less sticky is not the answer. —Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026

Where to adopt your new puppy National Puppy Day was partly started to bring attention to the unethical practices of puppy mills. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026

That’s irresponsible or unethical. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unethical

• ethical