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
Before some of the NBA’s best players spent Valentine’s Day Saturday in competitive 3-point shooting and dunking exhibitions, Commissioner Adam Silver gave his best lawyerly answers in a half-hour-long news conference focused largely on unethical hoops.
—
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Tedros suggested that denying half the children in the trial an intervention that has been proven to be safe and effective would be unethical.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 11 Feb. 2026
When vaccines are already available for a disease, it's considered unethical to give clinical trial participants a placebo, rather than compare the new vaccine to the existing one.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Tedros suggested that denying half the children in the trial an intervention that has been proven to be safe and effective would be unethical.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 11 Feb. 2026
When vaccines are already available for a disease, it's considered unethical to give clinical trial participants a placebo, rather than compare the new vaccine to the existing one.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
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More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s also just one overwhelming evil force in this play — the Nazis — whereas Dumas had his musketeers fighting not just ruthless government officials but royalty, religious leaders and nobles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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With a lesser interpreter in the role, Eva might have read more reductively as just a ruthless bureaucratic leader.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Peters became a figure whose actions were not just unlawful but emblematic of broader threats to democratic norms.—
Doug Friednash,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
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By sanctioning an unlawful deal, the government has created a legal impediment to petitioners' financial recovery.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Shah's regime was corrupt and dysfunctional.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
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Trump has granted clemency to all manner of criminals from violent January 6 rioters to corrupt politicians and fraudulent businessmen.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There is no question that the current Iranian regime is evil.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
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Or the sight of an evil Jerry robot, puppeted by the consciousness of a tyrannical butterfly (Dave Franco), scampering, insect-like, around the fiery maelstrom of a rally gone awry.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The least sinful states in 2026 Wyoming was ranked the least sinful state in 2026, followed by New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
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Most sinful states ranked Nevada is the most sinful state, according to WalletHub.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ironically, that war emboldened Iran, as the vicious Iraqi strongman was a regional counterbalance to the vicious mullahs.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Islamic State, or ISIS, the most vicious terror group ever, found Iraq to be the perfect launching pad for its marauders.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Knicks were held to less than 100 points for only the seventh time and had their fourth-worst three-point shooting performance of the season, going eight for 34.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The Pacers have the second-worst record in the NBA, 1 ½ games better than Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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