unscrupulous
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
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
- unscrupulosity noun
- unscrupulously adverb
- unscrupulousness noun
Etymology
Origin of unscrupulous
First recorded in 1795–1805; un- 1 + scrupulous
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.
I do not want my brother to be taken advantage of by an unscrupulous attorney who might promise to help him qualify for Medicaid.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Chairman James Siva said in a statement that the regulations are an “important step in combating unscrupulous and illegal gaming in California.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
Outside court after that case, Alford told journalists that members of the public "must not be held to ransom by a corrupt or unscrupulous press".
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
“There are some unscrupulous actors out there who present plans that seem to be ACA-compliant but are not,” she says.
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
People had raised their eyebrows when Ali, a man who had memorized the Koran, married Sanaubar, a woman nineteen years younger, a beautiful but notoriously unscrupulous woman who lived up to her dishonorable reputation.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
