as in immoral
not guided by or showing a concern for what is right
an unprincipled businessman who made a lot of money—and didn't care how he did it
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Recent Examples of unprincipled
Yet Aster casts their motives as unprincipled and self-serving.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Antoni is that rarity who has drawn harsh criticism from economists on the right as well as the mainstream for being ignorant, unprincipled, and incompetent.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
She is utterly disillusioned with the ugly transformations of leftist leaders, such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia, into unprincipled strongmen.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Parrilla has the more complex role; Bruiser is unprincipled and lacking in shame, yet generally correct and fair.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unprincipled
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
Antoni is that rarity who has drawn harsh criticism from economists on the right as well as the mainstream for being ignorant, unprincipled, and incompetent.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
She is utterly disillusioned with the ugly transformations of leftist leaders, such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Evo Morales of Bolivia, into unprincipled strongmen.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Parrilla has the more complex role; Bruiser is unprincipled and lacking in shame, yet generally correct and fair.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unprincipled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unprincipled
Adjective
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More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
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More and more people are avoiding dating or befriending those with opposing political views, and growing numbers describe those on the other side as closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent.—
Justin Callais,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Typewriters, stationery, fine-art museums, the quintessential impressionist painter—these are all associated with taste, beauty, and craft, as well as with intentionality and care, the opposite of the ruthless technological efficiency that repels many from generative AI.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Even if the film doesn’t co-sign her ideology, Ursula is the most nuanced of the ruthless killers, and Gellar is adept at digging into the character’s ambiguity and shifting priorities.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations or simply violate building codes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
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According to investigative reports, unscrupulous lawyers collude with medical mills and lawsuit financiers to recruit immigrants and people experiencing homelessness to orchestrate accidents, arrange unnecessary surgeries and cash in on inflated settlements.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Those include Mexico's Sinaloa cartel as well as the Cartel de los soles, or Cartel of the Suns, a term used to describe a loose network of corrupt, high-ranking military officers in neighboring Venezuela.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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Elphaba stands up against the corrupt Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) while the frenemies evolve their relationship and sing a lot in an unexpectedly relevant fantasy flick about standing up for what’s right.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unprincipled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unprincipled. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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