unethical

adjective

un·​eth·​i·​cal ˌən-ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce unethical (audio)
: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical
illegal and unethical business practices
immoral and unethical behavior
unethically adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Desperate timeshare owners are often targeted by scam artists and unethical companies that fail to deliver on promises to get them out of their contracts. Liz Weston, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2025 The previous year, two Buffalo Bills executives got the axe shortly after returning from England because they were engaged in a professionally unethical romantic relationship in conspicuous fashion. Michael Silver, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025 The team that investigated Comey this summer ultimately reached the same conclusion, telling Halligan that pursuing an indictment without clear probable cause would be unethical. Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unethical

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unethical was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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