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Synonyms

unethical

American  
[uhn-eth-i-kuhl] / ʌnˈɛθ ɪ kəl /

adjective

  1. lacking moral principles; unwilling to adhere to proper rules of conduct.

  2. 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.


unethical British  
/ ʌnˈɛθɪkəl /

adjective

  1. not ethical; improper

    companies involved in unethical practices

"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

Other Word Forms

  • unethicality noun
  • unethically adverb
  • unethicalness noun

Etymology

Origin of unethical

un- 1 + ethical

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.

The World Health Organization called the trial unethical and questioned its scientific merit.

From The Wall Street Journal

The senator made the case for his record and censured Mr. Paxton for unethical behavior.

From The Wall Street Journal

But this would have been impractical given the rarity of the disease, and unethical because some children would receive a placebo for a fatal disease.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

They claim it is unethical and that children cannot give fully informed consent to a treatment which might affect their future fertility.

From BBC