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
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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
At a press conference in Tampa, Ladapo called vaccine mandates unethical.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
The monarch confirmed to animal rights group PETA in November 2022 that foie gras is banned from all royal residences due to the unethical way it is produced.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In the docuseries, Michaels' former costar, Bob Harper, and others affiliated with the reality show, accused Michaels of unethical behavior, such as having bullied contestants, given them caffeine pills in an effort to lose weight faster, and restricting their calories to unsafe levels.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Cohn died a disgrace, disbarred by the New York State Bar for unethical conduct after attempting to defraud a dying client by forcing him to sign a will amendment leaving Cohn his fortune.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
The monarch confirmed to animal rights group PETA in November 2022 that foie gras is banned from all royal residences due to the unethical way it is produced.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
In the docuseries, Michaels' former costar, Bob Harper, and others affiliated with the reality show, accused Michaels of unethical behavior, such as having bullied contestants, given them caffeine pills in an effort to lose weight faster, and restricting their calories to unsafe levels.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Cohn died a disgrace, disbarred by the New York State Bar for unethical conduct after attempting to defraud a dying client by forcing him to sign a will amendment leaving Cohn his fortune.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
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Even the paper’s biggest triumph—which, without giving too much away, brings it into direct conflict with its toilet-paper stablemate—involves a farcically immoral compromise that tramples the church-state divide between news and product sales (and, worse, isn’t all that funny).—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Tracey recalls how her ruthless daughter sought revenge on her father, classmates and Laura.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Green, of Jackson Township, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Reid's death, according to Billhimer.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to the latest 2024 Transparency International report, the Americas average 42 out of 100 points on a scale where 100 is very transparent and zero is very corrupt.—
Sofía Benavides,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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With the help of Landy and Nicky Parsons, Bourne goes up against Vosen (David Strathairn), the corrupt director of Operation Blackbriar.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The inexcusable, evil acts of an individual.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
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He and his followers were locked in a battle with an enemy that was not just ideologically opposed but unwell, possibly evil.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In an important variation, medieval soldiers returning from war regularly spent an extended period of penance in monasteries – a recognition of Catholicism’s teaching that any war is inherently sinful.—
Timothy Gabrielli,
The Conversation,
25 Aug. 2025
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Don’t dream of leaving without ordering a gigantic slice of the coconut cake with cream cheese frosting—sinful and certainly comforting.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Once infected, the body demands even more energy to fend off infection, leading to a vicious cycle.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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Masked country crooner Orville Peck will keep his face covered while playing Vega, the vicious fighter who uses metal claws as one of his weapons.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But that’s actually a bad thing for a couple reasons.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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But worse than the poverty was the verbal and physical abuse from his father.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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