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
Proxy services are often used for illicit or unethical purposes such as performing DDoS attacks, running botnet command-and-control servers, operating phishing operations, and scraping website content.
—
Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Their actions were reckless, unethical, and ultimately fatal.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
As a primary concept in marketing activities, it is regarded by some authorities as unethical.
—Ezgi Eyüboğlu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
But having begun collaborating with Gran Tierra in 2019, the foundation has now been accused of complicity in sportswashing — using football to redirect attention away from unethical activity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Their actions were reckless, unethical, and ultimately fatal.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
As a primary concept in marketing activities, it is regarded by some authorities as unethical.
—Ezgi Eyüboğlu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
But having begun collaborating with Gran Tierra in 2019, the foundation has now been accused of complicity in sportswashing — using football to redirect attention away from unethical activity.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
-
These monsters—its antitheses—constitute that part of our nature that urges us to be sensible and strong, and that inclines us to see the life drive as trivial, weak, sentimental and immoral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
The artist wrote that keeping silent on this kind of behavior is akin to turning a blind eye to immoral behavior.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Noah Thomas’s life takes a dangerous turn when a chance reunion with an old high school friend, Parker Coleman, entangles him in a ruthless crime ring.—
Jon Stojan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The filing, submitted in the San Diego County Superior Court, seeks a judge’s order to condemn and destroy the embargoed kratom products, halt ongoing unlawful manufacturing and impose civil penalties.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the court's opinion that unlawful drug use alone cannot be grounds to seek to send someone to prison and potentially force them to give up firearms for life.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Johnson County He was arrested last August on charges of abuse of office and corrupt influence.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
The kidnappings have been linked to run-ins with drug cartels and corrupt government officials, while there have also been cases involving young women who worked at the country’s many factories.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
Zoroastrianism’s core tenets – a single God, the cosmic struggle between good and evil – are widely believed by historians to have formed the theological groundwork for the major Abrahamic religions.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
Not all devices are evil, the toys realize, and even the best machines—like even the best toys—will eventually break down and get tossed aside for a shiny new model.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Naim and his overly anxious single mom (Mia Wasikowska) attend rote church services in which the pastor looks to exorcise the LGBTQ+ from sinful boys who like boys and girls who like girls.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Bowing down and worshiping an idol is sinful.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The story follows vicious ex-con, Max Cady (Bardem) and his revenge plot against married couple Tom (Patrick Wilson) and Anna Bowden (Adams).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
Mahmic’s vicious goal in traffic salvaged some good feeling before a decisive showdown with Qatar next week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Are those still your worst fears?—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
-
While a higher tracker error is not bad in and of itself, most investors become uncomfortable when their portfolio acts so differently from the index.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
