unscrupulous
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unscrupulous
First recorded in 1795–1805; un- 1 + scrupulous
Explanation
Use the adjective unscrupulous to describe someone who behaves in a dishonest or unethical way. Unscrupulous behavior is the unfortunate resort of many ambitious people — it’s the immoral stuff they do to make success more attainable. When you sell someone bad loans, when you hack into your competition's accounts, when you read your roommate's mail for signs of an opportunity with his girlfriend, you're being unscrupulous.
Vocabulary lists containing unscrupulous
The Catcher in the Rye
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Power Prefix: un-
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Grade 10, List 6
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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.
Both Washington and Mexico City have launched crackdowns against a complex web of unscrupulous functionaries, front companies and document fraudsters, among others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
"We also started to see unscrupulous real estate agents telling people that they could secure a visa simply by purchasing property in Japan," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
The bill says the IRS doesn’t have unlimited time to audit a taxpayer’s return handled by an unscrupulous preparer.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
It all leads you to assume that our mystery 79-year-old must be well connected, unscrupulous in his personal dealings, and yes, pretty fat.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026
JonPaul’s weakness could easily be exploited by unscrupulous opposing teams if it wasn’t rooted out of him while he was still young.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
