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
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
Have you ever been publicly disciplined for unethical or unlawful actions in your career?
—
Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet studies have shown that when people delegate a task to others, the diffusion of responsibility can make the delegator feel less guilty about any resulting unethical behavior.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2025
Specifically, the four customers argued that Hershey's violated Florida Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to protect Floridians from unfair competition, deceptive acts and unethical practices.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Pursuing a case that fails to meet that standard is unethical, full stop.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
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.
Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet studies have shown that when people delegate a task to others, the diffusion of responsibility can make the delegator feel less guilty about any resulting unethical behavior.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2025
Specifically, the four customers argued that Hershey's violated Florida Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to protect Floridians from unfair competition, deceptive acts and unethical practices.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Pursuing a case that fails to meet that standard is unethical, full stop.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share