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

Scientific and medical experts have largely dismissed this attack, noting that such trials are unnecessary, in many cases unethical, and in some cases the claim is just false. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

People are doing backyard breeding, unethical breeding, abandoning their pets, surrendering their pets at alarming rates and they're getting euthanized at alarming rates all across our nation, in shelters just because of space. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Professors have encountered demonstrable issues with widespread cheating, with many forced to devise their own methods for eliminating unethical AI use. — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The myth that they’re somehow linked stems from a single report from England involving just a dozen children that was later found to be fraudulent and unethical and was forced to be retracted. — Andrew D. Racine, STAT, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unethical

• ethical