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

unethically

ˌən-ˈe-thi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• bad
• dark
• evil
• immoral
• iniquitous
• nefarious
• rotten
• sinful
• unlawful
• unrighteous
• unsavory
• vicious
• vile
• villainous
• wicked
• wrong

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

Yet, groundswells of humanity are emerging amongst the dirt digging, widespread misinformation and deeply unethical sharing of imagery at play. —Lauren Coulman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Pretty sure making provably false statements to a judge is unethical. —Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024

The researchers also couldn’t randomly assign trans and nonbinary young people to live in states with anti-trans laws and states without them, since such a study design would be unethical, Nath said. —Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024

For example, an investment in a company that generates high financial returns but engages in unethical labor practices might not align with an investor’s social values. —James Brewer, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above