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
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Recent Examples of unethical
The previous year, two Buffalo Bills executives got the axe shortly after returning from England because they were engaged in a professionally unethical romantic relationship in conspicuous fashion.
—
Michael Silver, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The team that investigated Comey this summer ultimately reached the same conclusion, telling Halligan that pursuing an indictment without clear probable cause would be unethical.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025
Have you ever been publicly disciplined for unethical or unlawful actions in your career?
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet studies have shown that when people delegate a task to others, the diffusion of responsibility can make the delegator feel less guilty about any resulting unethical behavior.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Michael Silver, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The team that investigated Comey this summer ultimately reached the same conclusion, telling Halligan that pursuing an indictment without clear probable cause would be unethical.
—Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2025
Have you ever been publicly disciplined for unethical or unlawful actions in your career?
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet studies have shown that when people delegate a task to others, the diffusion of responsibility can make the delegator feel less guilty about any resulting unethical behavior.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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The committee voted to ask Attorney General Josh Kaul to opine on whether grooming falls under the statute related to immoral conduct, which allows DPI to revoke a license if an educator violates it.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those hoping to snatch a home in this busy period faced limited options on the market, as the country’s developers had chronically underbuilt compared to demand in the years following the subprime mortgage crisis, leading to ruthless bidding wars and climbing home values.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Hedda orchestrates a ruthless game of manipulation, where lust, jealousy and betrayal collide.—
Patrick Hipes,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement What the Supreme Court is considering At issue before the Supreme Court is whether the federal statute barring gun ownership for unlawful drug users is similar enough to other historical restrictions on firearm possession.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Having been taken to Coonabarabran Police Station, Valette was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent and affray, which is fighting or the threat of unlawful violence which makes another person fear for their life, per the NSW Police news release.—
Latoya Gayle,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Porter’s story was viewed largely as a cautionary tale of a corrupt athlete… until this week, when the FBI dropped news of a much wider NBA betting scandal that shed light on Porter’s possible motivations.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But being evil aliens wasn't always on the cards.—
Grace Dean,
Space.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There have long been debates in churches about whether just listening to worldly music was sinful, let alone playing it.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
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No one knows the cake’s origin, but people like to offer theories on its name: Some say the word devil is a nod to the sinful dark chocolate, reminiscent of devil’s food cake.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This creates a vicious cycle where shame is a currency, and the only person who actually pays a price is the one who is mocked.—
Eli Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
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After their parents got the police involved, the case remained unsolved for months until the FBI uncovered the shocking truth of who was behind the vicious messages after all.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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FarmVille wasn’t bad, but something was missing.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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The asteroid impact triggered one of the planet's worst mass-extinction events, wiping out all dinosaurs but birds.—
DINO GRANDONI THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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