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
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.
Also, ripping up a lot of soft coral to extract their diterpenoids on the off chance that they’ll be developed into a therapeutic agent is a bit environmentally unethical. Paul McClure 13, New Atlas, 13 June 2025 Goode never meant to become the guy who makes documentaries about unethical animal holders. Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025 But conducting similar tests when an effective and very safe vaccine already exists would be not only unethical for researchers but also expensive and time-consuming for manufacturers. Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025 Ethics are now a bore since unethical behavior can always be papered over with tricks such as deceptive statistics and abstruse legal arguments. Cory Franklin, Twin Cities, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unethical

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unethical was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“Unethical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unethical. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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