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

Palantir did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill, but the company has long pushed back on accusations that its technology is used for government surveillance or other potentially unethical objectives. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2026

Advocates say giving parents the ability to throw out embryos with higher risks of conditions like Down Syndrome is unethical, but scientists inched towards this reality this year using gene-editing tools. —O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 2 Jan. 2026

Taking footage intended for our project to advance a narrative that was not our own is both unethical and unacceptable. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

There’s nothing unethical about buying within your means. —Mecca Pryor, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unethical

• ethical