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 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
Specifically, the four customers argued that Hershey's violated Florida Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to protect Floridians from unfair competition, deceptive acts and unethical practices.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
Specifically, the four customers argued that Hershey's violated Florida Deceptive And Unfair Trade Practices Act, which is designed to protect Floridians from unfair competition, deceptive acts and unethical practices.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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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
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Unlike previous seasons, Dorothy never makes immoral choices.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Zimmer also received an Emmy nod for her portrayal of ruthless executive Quinn King on Unreal (2015–2018).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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And in short stories and doorstops, her attention is ruthless and unflinching.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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He was arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center on suspicion of reckless driving, unlawful flight from a pursuing law enforcement vehicle, striking fixtures on a highway, excessive speeds, criminal trespass and other charges, the release said.—
Julie Mendes,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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By inviting armed soldiers into our streets, the Governor has sold out our sovereignty to a corrupt politician looking to distract you from the Epstein Files, rising prices at the grocery store, and more Texans than ever unable to realize the dream of homeownership.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
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MacCallum noted that Mamdani had apologized to two dozen members of the NYPD, having previously referred to them as racist, wicked and corrupt.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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They are known as witches or evil shamans with the ability to shape-shift into animals or other people and are both feared and respected.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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Also nominated, Pohl starred as evil Esme Prince on General Hospital.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
17 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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Those stiffed in this initial round are rendered unable to meet their own bills and a vicious cycle ensues.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
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In Black Phone 2, McGraw has been upgraded to the de facto lead actor, and Gwen’s foul-mouthed takedowns are even more vicious.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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So sorry, fantasy coaches and anybody that bet on me, my bad.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
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Joseph had maybe his worst day of the year.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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