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.

Now this seems completely unfair—for Times staff to suggest that Times leadership is being unethical when the union’s own unanswered requests for information clarify that the guild doesn’t yet have the full story.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

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

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

It’s an absolute abuse of power, and it’s unethical.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

He had a resident give the injections in their place, and on August 27, 1963, the three doctors wrote a resignation letter citing unethical research practices.

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

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