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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of unethical
Those who don’t conform deserve punishment to show the public that unethical behavior is not tolerated.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
While such a practice might have been deemed acceptable 200 years ago, today it is considered unethical.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Their complaint cited lawyers who quit the DOJ or were fired by Bondi for refusing unethical orders.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
While such a practice might have been deemed acceptable 200 years ago, today it is considered unethical.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Their complaint cited lawyers who quit the DOJ or were fired by Bondi for refusing unethical orders.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
-
Each side views members of the other party not as merely having a different view on politics but rather as evil or immoral.—
James Piazza,
Twin Cities,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Pope Francis changed the church’s social teaching to declare capital punishment immoral in all cases.—
Nicole Winfield,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
As a result of the operation, 22 were arrested on charges that included affray, possession of narcotics, resisting without violence, and unlawful possession of a weapon.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Kelly was indicted on one count each of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and unlawful imprisonment and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The film explores themes of power and coming of age in a corrupt society, with campus culture wars and climate grief at its center.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Dahlia, a disillusioned police aide, breaks into the mansion of the corrupt police chief Bernal and steals the money from his safe, unloading the funds to slum dwellers whose settlement Bernal razed down.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a strong sense that Feito’s novel got more mileage out of such questions as who is truly sane or insane and whether evil exists in all of us.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
The Gunslinger versus the evil Rancher (or space crime syndicate bosses, as the case may be).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Bowing down and worshiping an idol is sinful.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
-
Efficiency is religion, and turnovers are almost sinful.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Another thankless gig leads Ben to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a nightclub singer with ties to Brendan Gleeson‘s Silvermane, a vicious mobster engaged in an increasingly heated conflict with the city’s mayor (Michael Kostroff).—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
There are the victims, their families, and lives left shattered because of a single person’s vicious wrath.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
West Ham showed themselves to be a bad team, less than the sum of their parts and wholly ill-equipped for the challenge in front of them.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
