unethical

adjective

un·​eth·​i·​cal ˌən-ˈe-thi-kəl How to pronounce unethical (audio)
: not conforming to a high moral standard : morally wrong : not ethical
illegal and unethical business practices
immoral and unethical behavior
unethically adverb

Examples of unethical in a Sentence

unethical treatment of prisoners of war that was a clear violation of international law an unethical attorney, he had no qualms about getting off clients who he knew were guilty
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Those who supported the cat hunting ban said the methods to hunt mountain lions and bobcats were unethical and that hunting was unnecessary to regulate cat populations. Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024 Accepting unpaid work perpetuates an unethical cycle where fair compensation is sidestepped in favor of exploitation. 6. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Sydney Halpern’s Dangerous Medicine shows that the abusive experiments on mentally disabled children at Willowbrook State School were only one part of a much larger unethical research program. Carl Elliott, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024 Address misuse proactively: Just as crypto faced issues with illicit activities, AI must tackle the potential for misuse head-on, developing safeguards against harmful applications like deepfakes or unethical chatbots. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unethical 

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unethical was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near unethical

Cite this Entry

“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on unethical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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