Definitions

unethical

[uhn-eth-i-kuhl] / ʌnˈɛθ ɪ kəl /

ADJECTIVE

dishonest, immoral

Synonyms

STRONGEST

corrupt illegal improper underhanded unfair unprofessional unscrupulous wrong

WEAK

cheating crooked dirty dirty-dealing dishonorable disreputable double-crossing fake fishy flimflam fly-by-night mercenary shady sharp slick slippery sneaky two-faced two-timing underhand unprincipled

Antonyms

STRONGEST

appropriate correct decent ethical good honest moral principled right suitable uncorrupt

WEAK

upright

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After he’s ousted from his data-scraping firm, he pivots to create a new unethical startup called P.I.N.A.T.A.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

She also scorched the DOJ lawyers—and specifically one high-ranking official, Lisa K. Hsiao—for deeply unethical behavior.

From Slate • May 18, 2026

According to reporting from Politico, at least one travel-related company declined to sponsor the venture after concluding it was unethical.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Private-equity funds have also been accused of unethical behavior in their aggressive pursuit of profits at all costs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Later that year, a Harvard anesthesiologist named Henry Beecher published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that Southam’s research was only one of hundreds of similarly unethical studies.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Vocabulary lists containing unethical

Even More Negative Words to Describe a Person

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Power Prefix: un-

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The Phantom Tollbooth

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!