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
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
Their complaint cited lawyers who quit the DOJ or were fired by Bondi for refusing unethical orders.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
As Kaiko continues adjusting to life indoors, Turner hopes her story will help others recognize the long‑term consequences of unethical breeding—and the difference a safe, loving home can make.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
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
Their complaint cited lawyers who quit the DOJ or were fired by Bondi for refusing unethical orders.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
As Kaiko continues adjusting to life indoors, Turner hopes her story will help others recognize the long‑term consequences of unethical breeding—and the difference a safe, loving home can make.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 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
-
Reduce Wasted Spend to Fund Your Next Project Founders are ruthless about cutting overhead, yet many creatives let thousands of dollars leak away on essential work expenses like software subscriptions, tech and supplies.—
Rhett Power,
Rolling Stone,
6 May 2026
-
Stéphane de Groodt also appears, while Jochen Hägele plays the ruthless Nazi officer Dieter Frank.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
A’Jonya Shorter, 18, is charged with dangerous possession of a firearm, a Level 5 felony; possession of a firearm on school property, a Level 6 felony; and misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a handgun.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The money, hidden in furniture, was never reported through standard police channels, prompting the former intelligence chief in 2022 to file a criminal complaint alleging a cover-up, money laundering, and unlawful use of Ramaphosa’s bodyguards to track down suspects.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Specifically, carapaces spelling out 8647, which is either shell-speak for evil intent or a bartender telling Patel to 86 his personal booze and buy a drink already.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
The story is built around Kitana’s childhood trauma of losing her father to the evil Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), who has taken over her home realm of Edenia, enslaving her mother as his zombie consort, Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen).—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Christian moralists thundered against the sinful pleasures of watching naked female flesh at the Spectacles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
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,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Connecticut led New York 13-4 through the first four minutes of the third quarter, but Stewart killed the momentum with a vicious block from behind as Miller went up for a fast-break layup off of a steal.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Harris’s film, though, trades brainy barbs for some pretty vicious violence as a set of twins, badly scarred from a childhood fire, go on a journey to confront the root of their trauma.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Or worse, to turn it into a sort of prison sentence.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Still, from his horns and tattoos to the double-bladed lightsaber, Maul's bad-guy chic was hard to beat.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
