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
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
-
Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Even the paper’s biggest triumph—which, without giving too much away, brings it into direct conflict with its toilet-paper stablemate—involves a farcically immoral compromise that tramples the church-state divide between news and product sales (and, worse, isn’t all that funny).—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Witness Alex Hales’ ruthless removal.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Green, of Jackson Township, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Reid's death, according to Billhimer.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Delegates and party leaders described it as a corrupt and hypocritical maneuver from the governor.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share