unscrupulous

[ uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs ]

See synonyms for unscrupulous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples; conscienceless; unprincipled.

Origin of unscrupulous

First recorded in 1795–1805; un-¹ + scrupulous

synonym study For unscrupulous

Unscrupulous, unprincipled refer to lack of moral standards or conscience to guide one's conduct. An unscrupulous person is without scruples of conscience, and disregards, or has contempt for, laws of right or justice with which they are perfectly well acquainted, and which should restrain their actions: Methods of making money that are unscrupulous often involve taking advantage of the unfortunate. An unprincipled person is without moral principles or ethical standards in their conduct or actions: He's an unprincipled rogue; Her unprincipled conduct got her dismissed from the job.

Other words from unscrupulous

un·scru·pu·lous·ly, adverb
un·scru·pu·lous·ness, un·scru·pu·los·i·ty [uhn-skroo-pyuh-los-i-tee], /ʌnˌskru pyəˈlɒs ɪ ti/, noun

Words Nearby unscrupulous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use unscrupulous in a sentence

Periodic permissions checks protect you against potentially unscrupulous app developers and give you more control over your privacy.
Take control of your apps’ permissions | David Nield | November 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
Some experts, echoing concerns expressed in the 1980s, worry that physician dispensing could open the door for unscrupulous practices—and warp the decision-making of even well-meaning physicians.
What happens when your doctor and pharmacist are the same person | Michael Schulson/Undark | October 18, 2021 | Popular-Science
He also said agents should avoid detaining immigrants who land on their radar because they spoke out against “unscrupulous” landlords or employers, or at public demonstrations.
DHS issues new arrest and deportation guidelines to immigration agents | Maria Sacchetti | September 30, 2021 | Washington Post
In her 2018 book, “Manufactured Insecurity,” Sullivan investigates the vulnerabilities and emotional stress that mobile home residents face in parks operated by unscrupulous or greedy managers.
Extreme heat is killing people in Arizona’s mobile homes | Karen Peterson | July 2, 2021 | Washington Post
The section of the law at issue was amended in 1973 to allow the FTC to seek a court-ordered “permanent injunction” against unscrupulous practices.
Supreme Court unanimous that FTC lacked authority to recover billions for consumers | Robert Barnes, Rachel Lerman | April 22, 2021 | Washington Post

Or a modernized Tarzan might lead African miners on strike against unscrupulous multinationals.
Can Tarzan of the Apes Survive in a Post-Colonial World? | Ted Gioia | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
It was all part of the unscrupulous technique of “monstering” critics of the Murdoch empire wherever they were.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine | Clive Irving | August 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Barely Legal Pawn stars the duo as unscrupulous, possibly deranged pawnshop employees.
Shark-Eating Monsters, the Kid Emmys, and More Viral Videos | The Daily Beast Video | August 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Religions and ideologies are unscrupulous in their use of the past.
Liberals Need to Learn to Say No | Bernhard Schlink | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Safe within his mountaintop fortress, Escobar grew bolder and more unscrupulous.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens | Jeff Campagna | June 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He thought so, at least, as he laughed and agreed with her, saying Tony was an unscrupulous rascal at the best of times.
The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
In London some years before, she had been the pupil of a learned minister, who had become an infidel, and also unscrupulous.
The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux
He usually wore his pale-grey felt hat at a slight angle, and had the air of the easy-going adventurer, debonair and unscrupulous.
The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le Queux
He may be a friend of yours—he may be a dear friend—but in your heart you know that he is both unscrupulous and selfish.
The Double Four | E. Phillips Oppenheim
Gibbon fancies he was at one time an unscrupulous bacon dealer, and that he finally did considerable business in religious gammon.
Our Churches and Chapels | Atticus

British Dictionary definitions for unscrupulous

unscrupulous

/ (ʌnˈskruːpjʊləs) /

adjective

without scruples; unprincipled

Derived forms of unscrupulous

unscrupulously, adverb
unscrupulousness or unscrupulosity (ʌnˌskruːpjʊˈlɒsɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse