unscrupulous

[ uhn-skroo-pyuh-luhs ]
See synonyms for unscrupulous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not scrupulous; unrestrained by scruples; conscienceless; unprincipled.

Origin of unscrupulous

1
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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unscrupulous in a sentence

  • The lower jaw of No. 14 is quite Napoleonic in its strength and unscrupulousness, and this face carries its warning with it.

  • "I don't think his good looks or his unscrupulousness will make any difference to my wife," said Leonard.

    Mount Royal, Volume 3 of 3 | Mary Elizabeth Braddon
  • Their very daring and unscrupulousness seems to render them more attractive.

    The Third Degree | Charles Klein and Arthur Hornblow
  • Alas it was something more than that; it was her father's will united to the unscrupulousness of some forgotten ancestor.

    The Sword of Damocles | Anna Katharine Green
  • However, even at Aylmer's Pike, there were degrees and stages of comparative unscrupulousness.

    Strange Stories | Grant Allen

British Dictionary definitions for unscrupulous

unscrupulous

/ (ʌnˈskruːpjʊləs) /


adjective
  1. 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