unethical
Americanadjective
-
lacking moral principles; unwilling to adhere to proper rules of conduct.
-
not in accord with the standards of a profession.
She treated patients outside the area of her training, and the appropriate medical organization punished her unethical behavior.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unethicality noun
- unethically adverb
- unethicalness noun
Etymology
Origin of unethical
Compare meaning
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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.
These groups have explained that it is impossible to change a person’s identity in this way and deeply unethical to try.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
We thought flopping and foul-baiting made for unethical hoops, but those are but basketball misdemeanors; Adebayo’s big night was felonious.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
What was viewed as merely eccentric in 1956, when Gavin Maxwell brought an otter back from the Tigris marshes, would now be seen as unethical, not to mention illegal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Some campaigners have said it is unethical and could harm children.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
