unprincipled

adjective

un·​prin·​ci·​pled ˌən-ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld How to pronounce unprincipled (audio)
-sə-bəld
: lacking moral principles : unscrupulous
unprincipledness noun

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
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.
Objective voters who watched the recent documentary about Lev Parnas, once a Trump ally, should fear a redux of a Cabinet running the government for an angry, unhinged, unprincipled man. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2024 All of this coincided with a period of unprincipled practices in the media. Meg Walters, Glamour, 20 Nov. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for unprincipled 

Word History

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprincipled was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near unprincipled

Cite this Entry

“Unprincipled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprincipled. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

unprincipled

adjective
un·​prin·​ci·​pled ˌən-ˈprin(t)-s(ə-)pəld How to pronounce unprincipled (audio)
-sə-bəld,
ˈən-
: lacking moral principles : unscrupulous

More from Merriam-Webster on unprincipled

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!