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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unethical
They including paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism.
—
David Bauder, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Thanks to older siblings and friends, permissive parents, fake IDs, and unethical sellers, some young people have always found ways to evade these bans, and similar tactics could work for surmounting a social-media ban as well.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
The legacy of unethical medical research in this country runs even deeper than the Tuskegee experiments.
—Akilah Weber Pierson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The board also charged Page with unprofessional and unethical conduct by committing disruptive behavior through a pattern of contentious, threatening, or intractable behavior that could interfere with patient care or the effective functioning of health care staff.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
David Bauder, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Thanks to older siblings and friends, permissive parents, fake IDs, and unethical sellers, some young people have always found ways to evade these bans, and similar tactics could work for surmounting a social-media ban as well.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
The legacy of unethical medical research in this country runs even deeper than the Tuskegee experiments.
—Akilah Weber Pierson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The board also charged Page with unprofessional and unethical conduct by committing disruptive behavior through a pattern of contentious, threatening, or intractable behavior that could interfere with patient care or the effective functioning of health care staff.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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Cooperation feels not only impossible, but immoral.—
Joe Palaggi,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
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This also underlines how the admirably, anti-tank Heat are being asked to save civilization, protect The Republic, maintain a sense of morality in an immoral world and protect our children’s tomorrow from an accelerated descent into nihilism.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The helmet’s symbolism directs the world to the atrocities being committed upon an innocent, sovereign nation undergoing ruthless destruction.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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During this ruthless era, famous women were sorted into a stringent binary.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These new regulations impose the world’s fastest removal deadline, requiring platforms to take down unlawful synthetic media within three hours of notification.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
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On Wednesday, a coalition of health and environmental groups sued the EPA over the revocation, calling it unlawful and harmful.—
Dorany Pineda,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The corrupt a-s psychopath prosecutors’ office.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
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The film stars Jake Busey (Stranger Things) as Dirk, a corrupt cop who partners with an eager, broke assistant named Jeff Klima, played by Felix Merback (Blood Star).—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Newcomers to the popular franchise are Greta Lee as the evil Lilypad game tablet and Conan O'Brien playing a hilarious potty training toy called Smarty Pants.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Some cities in China have banned fireworks out of concerns over safety and air pollution, but the measures are controversial as firecrackers, traditionally used to scare off evil spirits, remain central to Lunar New Year celebrations.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And what good mischief doesn't begin with a little sinful bite?—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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His father, who believes Sammie's music to be sinful, orders him to drop the guitar, but Sammie can't do it.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There are fun villains; Reggie’s nemesis is a sneakily vicious NFL alum (Craig Robinson) with the splendid name Jerry Basmati.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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Anderson received the Sydney Schanberg Prize for his reporting on decades of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where regional and global actors have fuelled one of the world’s most vicious entrenched conflicts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Investigators are buried in leads The influx of tips generated in the case – further fueled by the release this week of footage captured by Guthrie’s doorbell camera – is both good and bad for law enforcement.—
Elizabeth Hartfield,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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But the lack of bigger tax cuts does not inherently make the grocery tax repeal bad.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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