unethical
adjective
un·eth·i·cal
ˌən-ˈe-thi-kəl 
: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical
illegal and unethical business practices
immoral and unethical behavior
Synonyms
Examples of unethical in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Donovan, of Boston University, said online efforts to punish enemies originate with activist accounts, such as those that identify unethical police officers.
—
Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Manipulated images — in which a researcher has modified an image heavily with photo editing tools — could indicate that images have been exaggerated, enhanced or altered in an unethical way that could change how other scientists interpret a study’s findings or scientific meaning.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
If journalists reporting on health veer into sensationalism and scaremongering, and this literally causes readers harm, was their choice of words unethical?
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
For every unethical act, there is a universe where the moral path is being followed.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
These are also the three ways a leader may lose trust: inconsistent or unethical behaviors, not walking the talk, and not considering nor respecting people’s feelings.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Our work shows that cultures of genius are also more likely to foster unhealthy competition, infighting, and unethical behavior, including cheating.
—Mary C. Murphy, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
The unethical and tragic Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, which ran from 1932 until it was brought to light by a news story by the Associated Press in 1972, highlighted a lack of informed consent by the participants.
—Amanda Masse and Nadi Nina Kaonga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
Between a good leader and a bad one—and between a good follower and a bad one.
Step 2: Pay attention to the distinction between bad as in unethical and bad as in ineffective.
—Barbara Kellerman, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024
Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Manipulated images — in which a researcher has modified an image heavily with photo editing tools — could indicate that images have been exaggerated, enhanced or altered in an unethical way that could change how other scientists interpret a study’s findings or scientific meaning.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
If journalists reporting on health veer into sensationalism and scaremongering, and this literally causes readers harm, was their choice of words unethical?
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
For every unethical act, there is a universe where the moral path is being followed.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
These are also the three ways a leader may lose trust: inconsistent or unethical behaviors, not walking the talk, and not considering nor respecting people’s feelings.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Our work shows that cultures of genius are also more likely to foster unhealthy competition, infighting, and unethical behavior, including cheating.
—Mary C. Murphy, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
The unethical and tragic Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, which ran from 1932 until it was brought to light by a news story by the Associated Press in 1972, highlighted a lack of informed consent by the participants.
—Amanda Masse and Nadi Nina Kaonga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2024
Between a good leader and a bad one—and between a good follower and a bad one.
Step 2: Pay attention to the distinction between bad as in unethical and bad as in ineffective.
—Barbara Kellerman, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unethical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unethical
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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