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 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 See all Example Sentences for unethical 

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.

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 5 Nov. 2024.

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