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
Their goal was to investigate and stop unethical conduct by public officials.
—
Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 6 Jan. 2025
In a three-page statement sent Friday morning to its 1,400 members, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers alleged Rundle allows unethical behavior to go unchecked.
—Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Meredith Lynsey Schade, a theatrical producer who worked with other applicants that sometimes struggled to get aid, called Shen Yun’s approach unethical.
—Michael Rothfeld, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
By making the refund process as opaque, time-consuming and difficult as possible, KLM is engaging in unethical and possibly fraudulent behavior.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unethical 
Jacob Orledge, ProPublica, 6 Jan. 2025
In a three-page statement sent Friday morning to its 1,400 members, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers alleged Rundle allows unethical behavior to go unchecked.
—Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Meredith Lynsey Schade, a theatrical producer who worked with other applicants that sometimes struggled to get aid, called Shen Yun’s approach unethical.
—Michael Rothfeld, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
By making the refund process as opaque, time-consuming and difficult as possible, KLM is engaging in unethical and possibly fraudulent behavior.
—Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, The Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for unethical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unethical
Adjective
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The trial culminated in the dramatic display of her thong before the jury, paired with descriptions of her as manipulative and immoral.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
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Growing shares in each party describe those in the other party as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent than other Americans.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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They are expected to manage the roster with a little more thought paid to player welfare and a little less thought paid to marginal gains and ruthless efficiency.—
Andrew Baggarly,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
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Here's the idea: Buried deep within Starfleet exists an anonymous, ruthless intelligence agency that operates out of sight of most Federation citizens and Starfleet officers.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The aim was to see how institutions — both public and private — would react to a president giving unlawful or unethical orders.—
Byron Tau,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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He was charged with second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Many such stories also contain the suggestion, sometimes explicit, that the old civilization was unbearably corrupt and that its violent collapse was overdue.—
Jennifer Szalai,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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Hunter Biden had been the point man in the decades-long Biden family business of selling access to his father and his political influence to agents of corrupt and anti-American foreign regimes, including the Chinese Communist Party.—
The Editors,
National Review,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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One of the most recognizable celebrations is lion dance troupes, a dramatic tradition meant to usher in the New Year and expel evil spirits.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
29 Jan. 2025
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In defense of my actions, as a general rule, mother-of-the-bride dresses are evil monstrosities.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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And in this case, there’s nothing more sinful than talking about LeBron James trades.—
Dan Woike,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Dec. 2024
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But it also was forged from a particular kind of alchemy that separates a sinful holiday confection from a sugar-sodden mess.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The roughest angle to imposter syndrome seems to be a potentially vicious cycle that can ensue.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Social media lit up with outrage directed toward Jubilee for giving voice to a vicious troll.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Daily How Nike’s new CEO plans to rebound from its worst year ever Sheryl Estrada NewslettersTerm Sheet Yan-David Erlich, former Weights and Biases executive, joins B Capital as general partner Allie Garfinkle NewslettersData Sheet The key to Netflix’s blowout earnings?—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2025
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Bankers, who often complain that uncertainty is bad for business, are now willing to try all sorts of deals to see what will work.—
Andrew Ross Sorkin,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unethical
Cite this Entry
“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unethical. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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