1
as in immoral
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
unethical treatment of prisoners of war that was a clear violation of international law
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruthless
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
an unethical attorney, he had no qualms about getting off clients who he knew were guilty
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unethical
There really is no way to write ethics rules that stop unethical people from behaving unethically.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2025
Cohn died a disgrace, disbarred by the New York State Bar for unethical conduct after attempting to defraud a dying client by forcing him to sign a will amendment leaving Cohn his fortune.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Kennedy, who has a long history of spreading vaccine misinformation, incorrectly suggested in his announcement that mRNA vaccine technology is ineffective, unsafe and unethical — comments that experts worry will put a chill on development even beyond the projects the government cut.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025
Merciless mayhem is tolerated and marginalized, obscured by the deeply flawed, unethical profitability of medicine.
—David Marks, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2025
Cohn died a disgrace, disbarred by the New York State Bar for unethical conduct after attempting to defraud a dying client by forcing him to sign a will amendment leaving Cohn his fortune.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Kennedy, who has a long history of spreading vaccine misinformation, incorrectly suggested in his announcement that mRNA vaccine technology is ineffective, unsafe and unethical — comments that experts worry will put a chill on development even beyond the projects the government cut.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025
Merciless mayhem is tolerated and marginalized, obscured by the deeply flawed, unethical profitability of medicine.
—David Marks, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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To argue that their mere presence is proof that the book is dangerous or its author must be as immoral as his characters misses the point.—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hunted by the ruthless crime boss that Don worked for and learned all the boss’s sinister secrets — Perlman plays him — Don has a reason to seek redemption.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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Witness Alex Hales’ ruthless removal.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The reversal of a century of progress in human rights — the unlawful oppression of the foreigner, the poor and the distressed — seems to be the new American way.—
Ciera Bates-Chamberlain,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Guevara, who came to the US from El Salvador in 2004, was charged with improperly entering a pedestrian roadway, obstruction of law enforcement officers and unlawful assembly.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The story of corrupt small-town cops taking on a former Marine was written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier and stars Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Delegates and party leaders described it as a corrupt and hypocritical maneuver from the governor.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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When her mother leaves the room for a moment, she's accosted by a demonic entity that toys with her through funhouse-style reflections, creating this evil doppelganger of Judy.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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The city has been taken over by a bunch of evil gangs and so the nerdy Scott Pilgrim and his pals, including Ramona Flowers and Lucas Lee come to the rescue.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In an important variation, medieval soldiers returning from war regularly spent an extended period of penance in monasteries – a recognition of Catholicism’s teaching that any war is inherently sinful.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
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Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Just as the Kremlin sought to quell dissent against its vicious campaign in the restive republic, so, too, has a deafening silence accompanied its Ukraine folly.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
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Set against a backdrop of vicious infighting between rival Scottish clans, the prequel began in wake of the sudden death of Ellen’s father, Red Jacob (Peter Mullan), who was the leader of Clan MacKenzie.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This was a classic Smith performance with tons of yardage and some risky throws with both good and bad results.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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You were called something much worse, and [it was] accepted.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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