unprincipled

adjective

un·​prin·​ci·​pled ˌən-ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld 

-sə-bəld

: lacking moral principles : unscrupulous

unprincipledness noun

Synonyms

• cutthroat
• immoral
• Machiavellian
• unconscionable
• unethical
• unscrupulous

Examples of unprincipled in a Sentence

a dishonest and unprincipled attack on his reputation

an unprincipled businessman who made a lot of money—and didn't care how he did it

Recent Examples on the Web

And if an unprincipled president began his tenure by firing senior military officers for partisan political reasons, the military would lose trust in the executive branch and tensions would grow between the two sides. —Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2024

Cazale excelled, instead, at playing people who are weak, weird, unprincipled, and visibly uncomfortable in their own skins. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024

This is not a way of saying that many salespeople are unprincipled professionals. —Randy Illig, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

There are investigators that would do unethical, unprincipled things. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

unprincipled

adjective

un·​prin·​ci·​pled ˌən-ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld 

-sə-bəld,

ˈən-

: lacking moral principles : unscrupulous